FateDeath Night
by Kapskaen
Summary: Emiya Shirou is a goner. The axe-blade screaming towards his head says that much. Saber and her Master Tohsaka are defeated, so he accepts his death... and summons something that changes the game forever. Shirou/Saber
1. The Servant of Death

Hey all, Kapskaen here once again. This is an idea I've had floating around since pretty much the second I started playing through the Fate/stay Night visual novel, and I have to get it onto paper before I forget it. I'm still working on The Legend of Cale, but it's on a bit of a hiatus as I have no time on my hands. Sorry in advance to whomever reads that story.

Disclaimer: I don't own Fate/stay Night or Bleach, nor do I intend to profit off of using setting, plot devices, or characters. I do, however, own my original characters.

Fate/Death Night

Chapter One: The Servant of Death

It was ironic, really.

Surviving that fire, only to die here, at the hands of a monster the likes of which no man had ever laid eyes on. The black giant before him defied all reasoning.

Something like that should not exist.

The downed body of the black-headed girl next to him proved that. So stubborn and strong, someone like her should not have been defeated easily.

Yet there she was, lying face down in a puddle of her own blood.

It had been mere coincidence that he had stumbled into this intersection at the same time the giant slashed her and another small, blonde girl to bits. Mere coincidence that cost him his life.

The axe-sword hissed through the air once more, his death singing its way through the air towards him, and he closed his eyes. This is how it was, then.

A clanging sound.

What? Blades meeting flesh do not clang.

He looked, and was astonished.

There was a new man there. Dressed in all black, the tall man with his snow white hair held the monster's axe-sword in one hand, having caught the blow effortlessly.

"…What a drag, to be summoned in the middle of a fight."

Crimson eyes met his own uncomprehending gaze.

"So you're my master, kid?"

_oOoOoOo_

Tohsaka Rin was not a morning person, that was for sure. The ringing evil contraption that set off near her head very nearly met a gruesome end.

She'd show it the repercussions of ruining the rest of a magus of the Tohsaka family.

Why was the blasted thing even set, school didn't start for-

Oh. Right.

Damn.

Groaning loudly, she stretched an arm out to her bedside table and slammed her hand onto the clock's mechanism, silencing the shrill ringing at once, and sat up.

Still half-asleep, she set her body on autopilot to go through her morning routine.

Out of bed, put on clothes, walk downstairs, brew some tea.

Time passes quickly, and soon she was at her table nursing a cup of warm tea to help her wake up. She needed to be on her game, anyway. School was a breeze, but she had other business to attend to today.

Today, Saber was hers.

That fake priest's nagging had finally pushed her to attempt the summoning tonight.

A scowl came to her face just at the thought of the priest. Who does he think he is, ordering her around like that? There may be only seven Masters, but she was bred to be one. Saber was as good as hers, yet there he was, being pushy, pushy, pushy.

She sighed. He wasn't entirely wrong, as infuriating as it was. She had been delaying, if only to make sure that everything was perfect for Saber's summoning.

The old clock in her living room began its long, slow notes signaling the turn of the hour. She shook the summoning out of her mind. Now was not the time to have the mind of a magus. Now was time to be Tohsaka Rin, the ideal honor student.

Tonight was when everything fell into place.

_oOoOoOo_

School passed quickly, aside from a little mishap in which she arrived an hour early because she had neglected to change the time on the clocks in her house, _again._

But honestly, there were more important things to think of. So what if this happened every year? She'd get it eventually.

Either way, she rectified the situation upon arriving home, and went to work setting up the proper instruments for the summoning in the basement.

Then she waited.

Now was not the opportune time. Her magic was at its peak early in the morning, around two. It was only eleven-thirty at the moment. Plenty of time to be had. Another cup of tea was brewed, and she settled down to wait, going over a mental checklist of what she needed.

The altar? Set up and ready, so check. Ley-line positioning? Check. Clocks on time? Check. Familiar item? Che- wait. It's not on the altar.

Uh-oh. Saber cannot be summoned unless there is something of which she hold an attachment to present.

Triple damn, where was the blasted thing?

Cup of tea forgotten, she scrambled out of her chair and began the process of tearing her house inside out in search of the holy relic.

Living room? No. Bedroom? No. Kitchen? No. Bathroom? _No._

She glanced at a clock. One-fifteen.

Quadruple damn.

It has to be in the basement, and so to the basement she goes. And voila, there it is in all its rusty glory, leaning in a corner.

Her eye twitched. All that stress, for nothing.

Oh well, at least she found it. She placed the pile of rust onto the altar and began her breathing.

It was time.

The clock struck once, twice, and the spell began.

"Das Material ist aus Silber und Eisen. Der Grundstein ist aus Stein und dem Großherzog des Vertrag. Der Ahn ist mein großer Meister Schweinorg.  
Schutz gegen einen heftigen Wind. Schließ alle Tore, geh aus der Krone, zirkulier die Gabelung nach dem König.  
Füll, füll, füll, füll, füll.  
Es wird fünfmal wiederholt.  
Nur ist es die volle Zeit gebrochen."

Flashes of light, rushing wind, and the smell of burning ozone began to permeate in the small, confined room. But the spell wasn't done yet.

"-I announce.

Your self is under me, my fate is in your sword.

In accordance with the resort of the Holy Grail, if you abide by this feeling, this reason, then answer.

Here is my oath. I am the one who becomes all the good of the world of the dead. I am the one who lays out all of the evil of the world of the dead.

You, seven heavens clad in three words of power, arrive from the ring of deterrence, O keeper of balance-!"

One final flash, one final explosion of pure magical energy, and then all was quiet.

She did not open her eyes, instead choosing to wait.

There was a shuffle, then a polite cough.

"I answer your summons, magus," the refined, dignified voice began, "and agree to your contract. I am Servant Saber, and my oath is this. I will be your sword in the Fifth Holy Grail War."

In the darkness of her mansion's basement, Tohsaka Rin smiled.

_oOoOoOo_

In all honesty, he had no idea how everything had come to this. It had been an honestly regular day, he had woken up at five-thirty in the shed where he had fallen asleep after training, eaten breakfast with Sakura and Fuji-Nee, and then headed to school.

From there, things had all gone downhill.

Issei had needed his help repairing the heaters in the classrooms, so he was at the school until very late finishing up his work. Once he had done all he could do, he began to make his way home through the dark campus.

Then he saw them. Two figures, clashing at each other in the schoolyard. From the distance, he could only make out two things, they were fighting viciously, and the other… They were not human. No human could move and strike with that much speed and force.

Everything would have gone more smoothly had he not alerted the lance guy to his presence and had to flee.

If he had just stayed hidden, he wouldn't have died.

Things get fuzzy there, and he only remembers waking up in a large puddle of his own blood with a strange amulet lying next to him.

He made it home, despite the pain his chest was in, only to be attacked once again by the lance guy. This time, he made it to his shed, only to be cornered and have Death open its arms for him once again.

Except he didn't die. A timely intervention saved him.

An unnaturally beautiful girl had leapt in front of the man's lance, blocking it, and saving him. The lance guy, who the girl identified as Cu Chulainn after he stabbed her with his weapon after yelling something strange. Whatever Gae Bolg meant, it had caused the angel to be wounded.

The lancer fled, only for the girl to quickly give chase without even so much as sparing a glance in his direction.

Against his better judgement, he followed.

Let it be said that Emiya Shirou was not a coward.

He stumbled through the entrance to his house, but both the girl and the lancer were gone.

He could have given up. He could have walked back into his house and attempted to forget that all of this had never happened.

But he wanted answers.

So that's how he found himself wandering into the intersection aimlessly, only to see one Tohsaka Rin go flying by him in a bloody mess.

"..!"

He whirled to face where the girl had fallen.

"Toh…saka? Tohsaka!"

There was no response, she had likely fallen unconscious. Or worse.

There was a call from behind him. "Master!" Clashing noises followed.

He turned, but the struggle was over before he even got a look at the action.

The angel, his savior from earlier was down as well, bleeding profusely from a gash in her side, and looming over her… was a monster.

Easily eight feet tall, with skin such a dark grey it could almost be classified as a shade of black, stood a demon from Hell itself.

And to the side, a familiar face. "Tee-hee. Well hello, Onii-chan, it is good to see you again."

A small, white-haired child stood by the giant. She was familiar. He had seen her on his way to school this morning, where she had said something strange…

Another light, tinkling giggle. "I'm glad I got to see you again, Onii-chan. But you saw us, and that's bad." A dangerous gleam entered her eyes, and the once cute child's visage grew cold and dangerous.

"…Kill him, Berserker."

Almost too soundlessly, the giant's arm raised, a vicious looking axe-sword in its hand, and swung.

So this is it. This is how death comes for him.

How ironic.

He shuts his eyes, knowing that there is no possible way he can escape or match the monster before him.

Damn, this sucks.

Unconsciously, his meager Magical Energy fluctuates.

If only he were a more accomplished magus, maybe he could have won.

A smashing sound.

His eyes open in wonder, and take in the awe inspiring sight before him.

There is a man there, dressed in black. His back is facing the giant, and his right arm…

Has caught the attack. The giant strains behind him, but the man's scowl does not even budge.

"…What a drag, to be summoned in the middle of a fight."

Crimson eyes meet an astonished gaze.

"So you're my master, kid?"

A sigh, then… "Very well."

The man turns, still holding the giant's blade at bay. "I accept your contract."

A vague burning sensation on his hand can't even tear Emiya Shirou's gaze from the scene in front of him.

"Berserker, hm? Sorry, but you're going to be defeated here." An index finger is extended, and aimed at the giant's chest.

"_Hado no Yon: Byakurai."_

At the uttering, a thick while bolt of lightning launches from the extended finger and pierces the chest of the giant. The monster sinks to his knees, and the small girl beside him gasps.

"…No way, just one attack… Two of his lives…"

She glances at the dark man in fear, and screams, "Retreat, Berserker!"

In a flash, the giant is on its feet and running, the girl safely tucked away in his arms. The dark man makes no move to follow. Instead, he turns to the boy on the ground, eyeing him with an emotionless glance.

"You are unharmed?"

It takes the young man a second to respond.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine. But… Who are you? And what the Hell is going on?"

A beat.

"I am your Servant, Shinigami. I will be your weapon in this Holy Grail War."

Before the bewildered teen can ask any more questions, Shinigami's gaze is no longer on him.

"Those two there. The female Master and her Servant. Should I finish them?"

His hand reaches for a previously unnoticed sword slung over his back, before-

"NO! I mean, no, please. We need to get them somewhere to be treated."

A white eyebrow is raised in question.

"They are enemies. They must be defeated."

"They're in no shape to fight! And they aren't enemies, I know one of them! Please, just help me get them back home."

"…Very well, Master."

With that, Shinigami strides over to the blonde girl in the armor, my savior, and picks her up easily. A second later, and Tohsaka is in the same position.

"Where to, Master?"

Emiya Shirou sighs. It is turning out to be a long night.

oOoOoOo

AN- Okay, that's it for chapter one. Yes, I crossed over Bleach and Fate/stay Night. Why? I wanted to. Yes, Shinigami will also have the same name/abilities of my character from The Legend of Cale, but oh well. Sue me for being unoriginal.

Let me know what you guys think, everyone, it would be much appreciated.

Oh yes, and I know the narrative is really confusing here. I'm not used to writing it, but I thought I'd give it a hand. It will be primarily in first person for the remainder of the fic, however.

Until next time, ja ne!

~Kapskaen


	2. Guidelines

Hey all, Kap here. So from the amount of people who added this story to their follow lists and the reviews I got, I have decided to follow up on this story a bit faster. Anyway, review answering time.

**The-lazy-bum:** Glad you think it's interesting! I've had it floating around in the abyss I call my imagination since I started the Fate path of Fate/stay Night, and I finally just put it down on paper. Hope I'm able to keep it interesting for you!

**Zangetsu Ossan: **Your wish is my command, Zangetsu-san. I'm glad you think the story is interesting, and I hope I can keep it that way.

**Anon: **You should log into an account so I can give you proper thanks! ^_^ You have a great point, though, and it will be explained in this chapter, so I hope it makes sense. Also, Shinigami is an OC of mine. I'm not great at putting existing characters _in-_character, so I prefer to make my own. Hope that's okay.

**Orchamus: **How do you think? They'll bash him like always! XD

**daniel-gudman: **I understand your reservations completely, and I am actually going to explain that in this chapter, so I hope it clears everything up a little bit. Don't worry, Shinigami is not going to be a walking God, but he does have a few tricks up his sleeve that would give him a temporary advantage. One time thing only, I promise. ^_^

Seriously, not even posted for 12 hours, and four reviews and an even bigger handful of subscriptions? Don't think I've ever been that popular. Anyway, without further ado…

Disclaimer: If I owned either Fate/stay Night or Bleach, oho trust me, the _fun _I would have… So it's safe to say I don't. Own them, that is.

Fate/Death Night

Chapter Two: Guidelines

_Tick, tick, tick…_

That was the only sound in the quiet kitchen, and frankly it was quite suffocating. I sipped my tea quietly, doing my best to ignore the three oppressive presences in front of me.

To my left, a beautiful blonde girl sat Japanese-style, sipping her own tea and staring at me almost expectantly. Beside her, the idol of our school, the beautiful Tohsaka Rin glared daggers at me as if spiting me for ignoring them.

I think the image of her as a perfect honor student died in me that very instant. Honor students don't kill people with glares… right?

Anyway, to my right radiated the cool presence of Shinigami, my Servant. He too was looking at me like he expected me to say something.

I calmly finished my tea and set the cup down, taking a deep breath. The others leaned forward to catch what I was saying.

"How are your wounds, Tohsaka?"

_Thump._ Her head met the table. That seemed painful, actually.

"You… you _idiot!_ I just told you that you're in a fight for your life and you're worried about _me?_"

I blanched. Oh, that had slipped my mind.

The Holy Grail War. A battle between seven Masters and seven Servants for the omnipotent Holy Grail, said to be able to grant any wish.

A bloody battle in which there can only be one victor.

And now, I am a part of that battle. Don't know how, or why, but the fact that Shinigami is sitting next to me and calling me Master classifies me as a Master of the Fifth Holy Grail War. I am expected to kill or be killed.

"Yeah, and? Look, that can come later, I just want to make sure your wounds have healed up decently. Whatever Saber did looks like it may have saved your life."

Saber. The beautiful blonde angel to my left. The one who saved me from certain death at the hands of Servant Lancer. Upon arriving at my house earlier she had risen from Shinigami's grasp, her wounds apparently healed, and set to work treating Tohsaka. An hour later, she left the guest room, a sore and exhausted Tohsaka trailing behind her.

Tohsaka scoffed, "What does it matter? We're _enemies,_ Emiya-kun. If you had any sense in your idiot head, you would have had your Servant there finish us off back in the street."

"As if I could! I don't even really believe this is all real, and you expect me to be some cold-blooded murderer?"

Tohsaka blinked. "You have two Servants sitting next to you, a full blooded magus in front of you, and are a magus yourself, and you claim that this isn't real? I was right, Emiya-kun, you really are stupid."

I bristled at the insult. "S-shut up! Is that any way to talk to the person that saved you from that monster?"

The atmosphere of the living room darkened instantly at the mention of Berserker. Tohsaka's hand immediately went to her side, and Saber's head sank, her gaze now focused on her knees. Not once had she said a word during the exchange.

Tohsaka glared at me again, though it was weak this time. "So what? I can't help that you're a fool of a Master." I began to reply, but she cut me off. "Saying that, though… It'd leave a bad taste in my mouth if I ignored your help. So how about this, Emiya-kun? We call a truce until Berserker and his Master is defeated. I'll stay here and we can plan on how to bring him down."

She was already nodding like I had agreed. Still, I couldn't complain. "Yeah, that's fine, you can stay he-," Wait. What? "H-hold on! What do you mean, stay here?" The honor student looked at me like I had grown a second head.

"It's obvious, Emiya-kun, right? If we are to cooperate, we need to be within a distance to reach each other easily in case of an emergency, and this is as good a place as any."

Man, she's scary when she makes sense. Still, why does it have to be here? Fuji-Nee and Sakura are _not_ going to be happy about this.

"…Ugh, fine… But only until Berserker is defeated."

Tohsaka brightened instantly. "Great! I'll go get some stuff from my place, then." And she was gone like a bullet, Saber trailing along behind her. I watched them go, Saber seemed to have caught my eye more now that the armor was shed and she was dressed in a very feminine outfit, and kept staring at the door once they were gone.

Shinigami shifted and sighed. "Master… you just got played completely by Tohsaka-san. You know this, right?" I nodded, still not looking at him. I guess that explains why I suddenly feel like a jackass somehow.

"Well then, before the ladies get back, I believe you and I need to have a talk."

Well that isn't ominous at all.

"I have noticed, Master, that you are not sending me magical energy. Since you have not started a link yet, that can mean one of two things. Either the summoning was awry, which is likely, or you are not capable of establishing a transfer link."

That doesn't sound good. "Wait, does that mean that you can't fight?"

A smirk played at the edge of the white-haired man's mouth. "If I were any other Servant, that would be correct. However, I am… unique, in a sense. While magical energy indeed sustains my form in this world, it is not the only energy I utilize. The spell I used earlier against Berserker, for example, was created using that secondary energy."

I stared at him blankly, so he apparently took that as an invitation to go on.

"This energy, my reiatsu, is the power of my spirit. Before I was selected to be a Servant, I was a spiritual being already, meaning that I had passed away and become a soul, which then began to grow in power. A better analogy would be to say that I am the dead's version of a magus. My reiatsu is like the magical energy of a living person, it sustains me."

I nodded once to show that I followed.

"Now that I have the body of a Servant, however, I require magical energy to maintain my form in this world. If summoned properly, I could fight at my full potential, since I do not have to use my magical energy to attack, only my reiatsu. However, since I'm not receiving any from you, I am having to take precautions to keep my body in this world. I'm currently channeling one-fourth of my current reiatsu into magical energy to keep my body sustained. This will give me just enough magical energy to fight and be wounded quite severely with no backlash. However, events like what happened tonight with Berserker are going to be much more tricky."

That caught my attention. "Tricky? How?"

Shinigami hesitated before replying. "Berserker has a magical resistance that rivals, if not surpasses, Saber's. Saber could take any spell under A-rank and brush it off like absolutely nothing, and Berserker is much the same. An area of effect spell will not have much effect against him. The spell I used tonight, Byakurai, is a spell known for its potent piercing power, which is a must to harm Berserker. However, it is one of the lowest level spells I currently know, meaning I had to channel quite a fair amount of reiatsu into the attack to have it affect him."

I was speechless. He learned all of this in the small amount of time he fought that monster? "…How much is a 'fair amount?'"

"The other three-fourths of my power. Enough power to release a Noble Phantasm twice in a row."

…No way… All of that power, and Berserker was still able to stand afterward? Wait, he didn't even look wounded in the first place… "Hey, didn't your spell pierce him? How come he wasn't wounded when he took the girl and fled?"

Shinigami frowned. "I don't know. He must have one hell of a regeneration ability… It would help if I knew his identity, maybe that could pinpoint his weakness."

Well that was new. "Identity? You mean the identity of the heroic spirit?"

A nod. "Aye. Heroic spirits that are summoned to be Servants usually respond to their class name to hide their identities from other Masters. An identified Servant is a Servant whose legend is recognized, and can therefore be studied to pinpoint weaknesses. In that regard, I have an advantage over others Servants as well."

"An advantage? How so?"

Shinigami looked down, as if ashamed of himself. "I… am not a heroic spirit. I am literally what my class name is, a shinigami. A God of Death. I walked the Earth, protecting souls that were unable to depart from evil spirits and evil people. But I failed at that, and allowed the Earth to be nearly destroyed. Nobody will know my legend because I have no legend. I am forced to be a Servant as punishment for my crimes."

My mind went blank. A being this powerful is not even a heroic spirit? That's… unreal.

"You aren't a heroic spirit? But how…? You caught Berserker's attack in one hand and didn't even get a scratch!"

Shinigami's frown grew and his gaze never left the ground. "That… is not entirely accurate." He raised his right hand, palm up. There was a thick black bruise across the width of his palm, making a solid stripe across the majority of his hand. "The bruise is not my only injury. I have several broken bones in my hand and wrist, and my forearm is fractured. I only escaped with my arm because I channeled every ounce of excess energy I obtained from my summoning into my arm."

If there is a word for how shocked I am, I don't know it. "So we can't fight until you're healed. That's why you did not chase him." Silence was my answer, and I took it for a yes. "So how long until you're ready?"

"A day. Two at most. Until then, I can only fight using my Kido spells, and limited sword skills with my left hand. Not entirely combat ineffective, but nowhere close to my peak condition."

Wow, I'm impressed. "That's amazing… Broken bones healed in two days…"

Shinigami shrugged. "Comes with the-" His gaze snapped to the left, expression steely. "Tohsaka-san and Saber have returned. Perhaps this conversation would best be left until later."

I nodded, then stood up to greet the new additions to the house.

This whole war nonsense is going to be nothing but a huge headache…

_oOoOoOo_

Tohsaka and Saber ending up settling in the guest building across the yard, leaving Shinigami and I to ourselves in the living room. After glancing at a clock and seeing that I would get no sleep before school, I decided to go to the shed and complete my daily routine until it was time for breakfast. It would also give me a chance to explain to Sakura and Fuji-Nee why there were three new bodies in the house. And why two of them were girls, at that.

Oh man, am I not looking forward to that.

I settled in a comfortable position on the floor of the shed, closed my eyes, and concentrated.

"Trace, on."

At once, the feeling of driving a burning nerve into my spine began to take hold.

I drove through the burning feeling, instead focusing on 'strengthening' my target, a normal iron pipe in front of me.

Once the nerve was in position, I started the second portion of the spell. "Composition, analyze."

The minute details of the pipe flowed into my mind, recreating a near perfect image. I could see all of the small cracks and imperfections I was aiming for.

"Composition, reinforce."

I began slowly adding my magic energy to the pipe, filling up all the small cracks and weaknesses in an attempt to bring out the most strength possible. Once that was over, I ended the spell.

"Trace, off."

I took a second to catch my breath, then picked up the pipe and swung it around a few times to test the difference. No change. I'd failed again. I sighed, then dropped the (thankfully undamaged) pipe to the ground and glanced outside. The sun was starting to rise, which meant I should probably start preparing breakfast. And for my inevitable demise via the hands of Fuji-Nee.

Maybe if I fix a good enough breakfast, she won't notice until it's too late…

_oOoOoOo_

_Tick, tick, tick, tick…_

That damn clock was at it again.

The four of us sat across the table from Fuji-Nee and Sakura, whom were both staring blankly at the new arrivals.

The fact that neither has said anything bodes ill for us all.

"Um, anyway, that's the situation, Fuji-Nee. Saber and Tohsaka need a place to stay while the interior of her house is being remodeled, and their butler decided to come with them."

Give me a break, that was the only convincing story I could think of. Saber is a convincing enough foreign name, but Shinigami? Who would name a child 'Death God?'

"…"

"…"

Still no reaction. Oh this is so bad, she's going to-

"Okay, then."

Oh God, I knew- what?

Fuji-Nee was nodding to herself like she had just reached an important decision. "I'm happy you decided to put them up, Shirou, and were thoughtful enough to make sure that there would be proper supervision here." She pointed at Shinigami. "The butler looks more than capable of keeping any suspicious things from happening. Isn't that right, um-"

"Urk…" Damn, I don't know his name! Before I could panic, however, Shinigami responded in a calm, quiet voice.

"…You may call me Ryu, Fujimura-dono."

Shinigami's politeness must have surprised her, because Fuji-Nee flushed a light pink before replying. "S-See? Everything is in order, right Sakura?"

The first year student was quiet for a long time before, "…Hai, Fujimura-sensei."

And as if that settled the matter, dinner began as usual, though it was still very quiet and awkward.

I tried to start some conversation with Sakura, Fuji-Nee, and even Saber, but everyone seemed intent on ignoring my attempts as completely as possible.

Tch, what did I do to even deserve this?

Sakura and Fuji-Nee were quick to leave after breakfast, and parted only after thanking me for the food and saying goodbye. I think they may be mad…

Oh well, maybe that's for the best. This Holy Grail War thing doesn't seem to be something I want to involve them in. I return to the living room to continue the conversation from earlier.

"So, Tohsaka. What else can you tell me about the Holy Grail War?" No use in skipping around the topic, so I might as well get straight into it.

"I've told you all I know. But thanks for bringing the topic up again, Emiya-kun. I was just about to go see the supervisor, and now you're going with me."

Wow, that smile is probably the most terrifying thing I have ever seen. That black giant can't even compare.

Before I can protest, Tohsaka darts forward, snatches my hand, and begins to tow me out of the room.

"Oi, Tohsaka! Wait! H-Hold on, I said!" Ignored, I cast a pleading look at the Servants trailing behind us, to no avail. Saber was watching us calmly, though it seemed she had a hint of a smile playing on her features, and Shinigami was smirking bastardly at me as if to say, 'You're on your own, Master.'

Damn you both for this.

When no help seemed forthcoming, I sighed and allowed Tohsaka to haul my out of my own home like a lost dog.

At least I'll be getting some answers.

_oOoOoOo_

After getting me out of the house, Tohsaka set a blistering pace across town, across the bridge linking the two cities, and up a hill towards the old church on the mountaintop. Every step closer to it, though, the more uneasy I felt. It was like something inside me was screaming at me to turn back from this place.

I shook it off, telling myself it was nerves. No need to freak out, it's just a church, regardless of how creepy it is. Tohsaka showed no sign of being affected by anything, so I just plodded on behind her silently until finally we were standing outside of the door.

"…Master Rin, if it is alright with you, I would prefer to stand guard outside." The blonde angel speaks up from behind us emotionlessly, though I imagine I can detect a hint of anxiety in her voice. Strange.

Tohsaka's eyes widen in surprise for a second, then she nods. "Good idea, though I doubt we'll be attacked here. It's forbidden to damage the sanctuary."

I look at Shinigami, but he shows no intention of staying outside, so I keep quiet and go inside with Tohsaka.

The air in the church is just as oppressive as the church itself. It does not feel like a place of worship, more like a place of death. A strange pressure leaks from everywhere as if trying to stifle the life out of every living thing that appears inside its walls.

"Hey, you fake priest! I brought someone who needs to talk to you, so come out!" Tohsaka's shout echoes strangely in the thick air.

There is no response.

I begin to wonder if anyone is even here, when suddenly-

"Ah, Rin. Only you would bring someone here demanding answers at such a time. Shouldn't you be in school?"

I clamp down my jaw to stop the yelp that almost springs forward and whirl around. Standing directly behind me is a tall man dressed in the brown robe of a priest, looking down at me with eyes that are almost completely empty.

His gaze is unsettling, as if he is dead, but still conscious of the world around him. I find myself wanting to turn around and flee just to escape from it. However, I came here for answers, and this creepy priest isn't going to stop me from getting them.

"So you are the seventh… What is your name, boy?" The priest's gaze never faltered from me, giving the feeling that he was looking into my soul.

"E-Emiya Shirou." Damn, I stuttered.

"Then allow me to welcome you to the Fifth Holy Grail War, Emiya Shirou. Though I must admit, there is no shortage of irony in your presence here." Just like that, the man says something strange, but continues before I have a chance to speak up.

"I am Kotomine Kirei, priest of the church, and Supervisor of the Holy Grail War appointed by the Magic Association. Now tell me, what is it you wish to know?"

I am taken aback at first. It seems that this man has no patience in beating around the bush.

"I only have one question, actually. Tohsaka explained things pretty thoroughly at my place concerning the Holy Grail."

This evokes a reaction from the man, although his raised eyebrow puts no more emotion into his eyes or face. "Oh? Then why have you come here tonight, if you know what is at stake?"

I glance at Shinigami before answering. "I want to know why I should care about being a Master. I have no wish for this 'all-powerful' Grail to grant, so why should I care about killing other Masters to obtain it?" I feel a cold pressure begin to settle down on me from behind, and I know that Shinigami is glaring at me coldy. Tohsaka did mention that Servants have their own reasons for obtaining the Grail, after all.

Kotomine chuckles, but the sound is more reminiscent of a dry cough than anything. "You are indeed brave for saying that out loud in front of your Servant. Brave or very stupid. But you are correct, if you truly have no wish for the Grail to grant, then there is no point in fighting from this moment on. If you so wish, then I can allow you to revoke you Command Spell and release your Servant, ending your role as a Master."

My brain froze. Revoke my Command Spell..? I glanced again at Shinigami, and the cold pressure doubled. It was like weights made of pure ice had settled on my shoulders, making it hard to breathe. The way he was looking at me made me feel like my life hung in the balance of this decision.

Kotomine was speaking again. "Yes, you could certainly revoke your right to being a Master. But that will not stop this war, Emiya Shirou. Regardless of your stake in this conflict, people will die. Masters and Servants patrol this town even as we speak, and there are countless lives that may or may not hang in the balance."

I couldn't think. This man who I had never met had callously thrown out one of the things I feared the most.

A scene flashed through my mind. A red, hot landscape. A scene so horrible it was as if Hell had overstepped its bounds, materializing on the human plane and casting all of the land into the fire and brimstone.

There were people in that landscape. Burning. Moaning in terror and pain.

It was so hot…

Words came to me. It took me a second to realize Kotomine was talking again. "Surely you remember the terrible conflagration from ten years ago. That disaster was the result of the final conflict of the Fourth Holy Grail War."

That snapped me out of my horrible flashback, but did nothing but add to my shock.

"…What did you just say?"

Kotomine looked smug.

"That is the conflict you have involved yourself in, Emiya Shirou. Now, I will allow you to make your decision. Will you revoke your Command Spell, and attempt to live as normal a life as you are allowed? Or will you partake in the meaningless slaughter that is the Holy Grail War?"

The pressure on my shoulders was no longer increasing, and Tohsaka, Kotomine, and Shinigami were all staring at me expectantly.

I decided then and there, the remnants of that flashback in my mind, exactly what I would do.

"…Neither."

The surprise ran rampant through the stifling atmosphere.

Tohsaka was the first to recover. "Emiya-kun…"

"I'm going to fight to end this stupid war. I'm going to stop those Masters who would use the Holy Grail to cause a disaster like that. So I'll fight in your war, Kotomine."

At once, the icy weight on my shoulders lifted as shock pervaded the people around me. I met Kotomine's dead stare without flinching, daring him to comment on my choice.

"…Well said, Emiya Shirou."

I could feel that the conversation had come to an end, and turned around to exit the church, holding the door for Tohsaka and Shinigami.

Before I stepped outside though, I heard a statement that sent unknown chills down my spine.

"…Rejoice, for your wish will surely be granted…"

_oOoOoOo_

AN – And there's chapter two. I tell ya, this is the first time I've ever had any interest in a story, and I thank you all for giving this a chance. I sincerely hope that you will stick with me and let me know if I am making any mistakes.

Also, to those of you who pointed out some places that needed clarity in your reviews, I hope the explanations I gave made things a little clearer. If not, please, feel free to let me know and I will rectify that as best I can.

Until next time, everyone.

~Kapskaen


	3. We Don't Need No Education

Hey all, Kapskaen here with another chapter for you. I will be spending a literal crapton of time on updates and the like for this fic over its lifespan. I hope to have it finished in a couple of months at the most. Maybe less if I get well inspired. If December rolls around before it's over, then my apologies, but don't expect another chapter for many months after December 10th, as I will be in Parris Island, South Carolina for Marine Corps Recruit Training.

Just a heads up. Anyway:

**Zangetsu Ossan: **Once again, thank you for reading this. It's more fun to write than I ever thought, and I appreciate having people out there who enjoy it.

**maximorph1: **I thought about it, honestly, but no dice. I know and understand that yes, it is a crossover, but the Fate/stay Night aspect of the story is much greater than the Bleach tidbits. If it is a continued annoyance to people, then I will move it, but for now it's staying as-is.

**WriteShop: **Thanks for your interest. I hope I'm able to keep the story interesting for you.

**Orchamus: **Rin is probably my favorite character to write, honestly, and some of the scenes and dialogue sequences I have for her are downright hilarious. She's just all-around fun. In the series proper, she's my favorite character by far, though I enjoy the Shirou/Saber pairing far more then Shirou/Rin. Call me a juicy contradiction, I guess.

**Zaralann: **Many thanks to you! I hope you continue to find the rest of the story as interesting!

Seriously, you guys are still blowing my mind. I've never been so popular in my life. T.T (perfect place to insert the "Forever Alone" meme)

Anyway, I will ado no further, here is chapter three of FateDeath Night.

Disclaimer: .hcaelB ro thgiN yats/etaF nwo od I. If I did, I would not be bored enough to type a disclaimer backwards.

oOoOoOo

Fate/Death Night

Chapter Three: We Don't Need No Education

I had honestly never thought that I could be free of my internal prison. As a heroic spirit, I could not be called, in any way, myself. A heroic spirit is nothing but a guardian. I was the world's vessel, nothing more. A puppet with no control, but with the ability to see every horror and atrocity the world, and I, committed.

I can't tell you how many times I've been summoned. I lost count, honestly. But this feeling, being a Servant, being _me_ again… That's something I thought I would never experience again.

So honestly, I can't hate my circumstances. This is the closest I've been to being free in many, many years.

Emiya Shirou. Master. Participant in the Fifth Holy Grail War, in which I am nothing but his sword. As vexing as that should be, being leashed, I can't bring myself to care. I'm me again, and when this is all over, I'll never have to give myself away again.

But my Master… He's weird.

I honestly thought he was going to revoke his Command Spell in that church. I had prepared myself to slaughter him right then and there, even.

But he chose to fight. Not because he was afraid of me, or even death itself, but because he wanted to _help _people.

Note to self, ask Shirou if he is related in any way to a Kurosaki family…

…Damn. Lots of unpleasant memories related to that man. Though, I wonder if the idiot's still alive.

My senses warned me of an approaching being long before I heard footsteps. Two pairs. Both light and dainty. Women.

"…Shinigami? What are you doing awake?"

Tohsaka Rin and her Servant, Saber. Should've known they'd hunt me down. Ah well, explanation time. I opened my eyes to look at them both. "Don't act like you're surprised to see me here, Saber more than likely told you exactly where I was. Now, either you want something, or you want something. So what is it?"

A momentary flicker of irritation flashed across her face, but Saber was unphased. Her cool green eyes watched me impassively, but I know her type.

She could kill me twenty ways just from the way she's positioned herself. She's not defenseless.

I'm impressed, really.

I focus on Tohsaka, who is obviously the reason behind this meeting and urge her to continue with my eyes.

"You are not a Servant. There is no class called Shinigami."

Said with all the subtlety of a rampaging rhinoceros. I smirk in response.

"Well hello, my name is Shinigami. It sure is nice to meet you too. You really know how to start a conversation, don't you Tohsaka-dono?"

I said it in jest, but the girl flushes bright red for a second. "S-shut up! I just want to know what your deal is, that's all!"

Score one for me, I guess. "Okay, then. What's the magic word?"

The glare she levels at me could melt ice. "_Now."_

Saber steps forward menacingly. "My Master wishes to know about your abnormality. As do I. We may be allies, but you _will_ tell us, or I will use any means necessary to get that information."

Ha, an amusing threat. But it still pisses me off. Damn pushy women can't even take a joke. Tohsaka looks taken aback and about to say something, but I cut her off, leveling the force of my reiatsu onto Saber and glaring at her.

She tries her best to ignore it, but her eyes widen, and I can see her gritting her teeth with the strain of just standing.

"Do not presume to threaten me, Servant Saber. Your master is just that, _your_ master. I owe her no duty and no explanation that I do not wish to give. You may be powerful, but I am not helpless in the slightest."

And with that, I ceased the flow of pressure and focused back onto Tohsaka, not even bothering to look at Saber gasp in surprise and for air.

"However, since we are allies, I will explain my best guess."

I motioned for them to sit, and waited until they complied to start.

"Since it does me no harm to tell you this, I am what my class names me. I can't very well say 'in life,' but before I was a heroic spirit, I was a type of being known as a Shinigami. There are a lot of technicalities and such, but long story short, I failed so miserably at my job, I was forced to become a heroic spirit for eternity in hopes of atoning for my sins. This is the first time I have been a Servant, and the first time the class 'Shinigami' has appeared. This is only my opinion, but there may be something going on in this war that demands my full attention, so the world placed me here."

Rin and Saber were silent, the former of whom had taken a thoughtful pose and looked serious. "…Something strange? True, I have wondered why the war is taking place so soon after the last one…"

She's mumbling to herself. I snap my fingers to get her attention. "I am your ally for as long as Master wishes it, Tohsaka-dono. Do not forget that if I am to obtain the Holy Grail both for myself and for Emiya-sama, you will be my enemy sooner or later."

She looked at me not coldly, but with eyes full of surprise. Apparently she wasn't expecting that. "Alright then. I'll accept that." As if that ended the conversation, she got up and began to walk away, Saber preceding her through the door. Before she left, however, there was a quick glance over her shoulder, and an almost inaudible mumble. "…Call me Rin from now on, then."

I stared at the doorway for a while even after she left.

"Rin, huh?"

Somehow I couldn't wipe the small smile off of my face.

oOoOoOo

Morning, it seemed, was never normal in this household. At six forty-five, a small knock had sounded from the door of the room I had fallen asleep in, followed by, "Shinigami? Breakfast is ready if you would like some."

When I walked into the living room, however, a most interesting sight met me.

Toh… Rin was sitting at the table, hands clamped over her mouth trying to contain her mirth, and Shirou and Saber were both flushed scarlet of the brightest degree and looking everywhere in the room except at each other.

"Did I… miss something?" Three pairs of eyes turned to me, Rin's lighting up at my question.

She looked at the other two inhabitants of the room and smirked evilly. "Well, it seems something happened this morning when Emiya-kun and Saber were in the dojo training."

Oh? "Do tell, Rin."

If possible, Saber flushed an even brighter shade of red and protested loudly. "M-Master! It is no business of his what mishaps I have made!"

I mirrored Rin's smirk instantly. "But Saber, seeing you this flustered makes me wonder what happened even more. Please, go on, Rin."

The dark-haired girl opened her mouth to speak, but Saber cut her off.

"It was nothing important! Shirou came to me this morning, early, and asked me to help him learn how to fight! I did so, and during the session, he tripped, and we… kissed…"

She couldn't continue, and ducked her head as her face burned a shade brighter. Shirou became intensely interested in the tea set on the table at conveniently the same time.

And here I was wondering just why he was being so quiet.

Ha. Haha. Ha.

"Hahahahahahahahahahahaha!" I can't help but laugh. It's just too great. I'm not the only one either. Rin has one hand clamped over her mouth, but her giggles are still escaping rapidly.

I contain my laughter for a second, "Well, Master. You work fast. Only a day and you've scored a kiss from a beautiful girl! I wonder if I should take notes!" And I proceeded to lose my composure once again.

But not before a slightly embarrassed killing intent settled on me. Saber glared at me, the effect diminished by the intense blush on her face.

"T-that's not what happened! He just tripped! Shirou, tell them…" Realizing she had spoken to him directly, she ducked her head once again and closed her mouth in embarrassment.

A ding came from the kitchen, and I swear that Shirou teleported from the table as he was gone in a blink.

When he returned, his arms were laden with Western-style breakfast, and everyone set aside their mirth and embarrassment to focus on the food.

Thankfully there was plenty to focus on, and the atmosphere cleared up substantially.

"So," I began, "What are our plans for today, Master?"

Shirou looked at me, finishing his mouthful of food before responding. "Well, I have school today…"

"School? How should I accompany you there?"

"You can't. You'll stand out too-"

"Excuse me, Master, but the Hell I can't. I may not be fully healed, but Berserker and her Master are still out there. Rin and Saber may be capable allies, but to leave you by yourself is borderline insanity. Now I'll ask again. How should I accompany you there?"

Shirou glared at me. "First off, stop calling me Master, it feels weird. My name is Shirou. And secondly, you'll only draw attention to yourself if you show up in what you're wearing and hauling around a sword! I'll go straight there and straight back, and Saber and Rin will be there as well. No need to worry."

I pasted a scowl on my face and matched Shirou's glare with one of my own. "I am capable of staying out of sight. Better than most, I may add. I am not as stealthy as one of Assassin's caliber, but I have a technique that multiplies my speed exponentially over short distances. I can use it to travel around the school from anywhere close by, if need be. It takes a bit of energy, but I can use it a couple times without compromising my ability to fight. Now I ask you _again,_ and hopefully for the _last time._ _How_ shall I _accompany _you, Shirou?"

Rin spoke up at that point. "Shirou, maybe you should consider it… He could stay on the roof. Nobody goes up there during the winter and he'll be close enough to intervene if something happens. He can take Saber with him, for some reason she can't turn into a spirit either."

Shirou flinched as we double teamed him. He threw a slightly pleading glance at Saber, but her face only flushed slightly at his look and she said, "I agree with Shinigami and my Master, it would be best to have both of us in your general proximity. If this technique of Shinigami's does what he boasts, it would be a simple matter to get onto the roof and take cover."

We all watched as Shirou blinked once, twice… then hung his head in defeat.

I exchanged a victorious smirk with Rin.

"Fine… Then we'd better go and get there early so you two can get into position."

And away we went.

oOoOoOo

Something is very wrong with this school.

I could tell just by stepping through the gate that a very powerful magic was being prepared here. No, not prepared. Completed.

Rin and Saber were tense, so they obviously sensed it as well, and Shirou looked uneasy. I frowned, if an inexperienced magus can sense the abnormality in the air, then we might be in trouble.

"Shirou. Rin. I'm going to take Saber and flash step to the roof now. Be on your guard, you two. A magus has done something here, and whatever it is could be activated at any time."

After they nodded, I held out my arm to Saber, and once she had an adequate grip, I channeled reiatsu into my legs and leapt toward the building. At that speed, we were invisible to any human eye, regardless of how well trained. The only person who could see me would be another Servant. And I could move faster than even they could perceive if I wished.

In under a second, we were standing on the roof, and Saber had jerked her arm out of mine, bent over at the waist to contain her nausea.

"Oh yes, I might have forgotten to mention, people who aren't used to _shunpo_ can get a little disoriented during the first few times using it. You're lucky I didn't go faster, you could have passed out."

The girl glared daggers at me to which I just grinned in response. That mood did not last long.

"Saber… This boundary field here… It's a Bloodfort, isn't it?"

Saber frowned and stood up straight. "It seems that way. Look down at the grounds, the students that have arrived do not seem normal at all, like they are barely there. If so, this Bloodfort is ready to be activated any second by the Master that made it."

I reached back and grasped the hilt of my sword, assuring myself it was still there. "A Master doing this will have his Servant with him at all times, you know. If Rin and Shirou find him or her, we'll have to fight."

Saber just nodded. "I was wondering, though. How are we to know when they are in trouble? Neither Shirou nor my Master told me the layout of this school; I do not know where they are located inside the building."

"Don't worry about that. As a Shinigami, I am entitled to a great many talents. One of which is being able to sense reiatsu. Rin and Shirou are both on the second floor, in separate classrooms. If we are to fight, then we can leap directly off the roof into the second floor hallway's window." I smirk. "I _would_ take you by flash step, but we can't have you throwing your breakfast up during a fight, now can we?"

A glare was my only response. I grin for a few more seconds then settle into a more serious mood. "And now, I guess we wait. We are unnecessary as of right now, so meditate and get yourself ready for battle or whatever you do."

I expected a retort, but Saber just knelt Japanese-style, bowed her head, and shut her eyes. I stared for a second, then turned away and did the same thing. I need to focus on Rin and Shirou and try to catch any fluctuations that would signal distress.

I settled myself and began waiting. We'd be ready for this hidden Master for sure.

oOoOoOo

Saber started from behind me as both Rin and Shirou's reiatsu took on a panicky pitch.

"Shinigami!"

I snapped my eyes open, glaring at the crimson world around us. "I know. Let's go, Saber."

I pulled my sword out of its sheath and sprinted over to the fencing, vaulting over it in one smooth motion.

Down, down, down, the ground was coming up faster and faster.

My left hand darted out, grabbing the upper sill of the window, and I altered my momentum, swinging for a second, and crashing through the window just as Shirou and Rin met up in the hallway. A thud behind me signaled Saber's arrival as well.

I scanned the hallway, but I already knew it was clear. The only other strong presence in the school was a floor above us. They were waiting. "We need to go up. The Servant is up there. The Master cannot be too far away."

Without a word, Saber turned and ran for the stairs, Rin and Shirou following, and I brought up the rear. We cleared the flight of stairs in a couple of seconds, at most.

Standing at the end of the hallway was a woman in black with long purple hair, and in front…

"No way…" Shirou's muttered denial echoed in the silent hallway.

"Yo, Emiya, Tohsaka. Fancy seeing you here."

A boy in the school uniform with blue hair.

"Shinji…"

The newly-identified Shinji just smirked as if he was looking down on all of us.

"I was wondering when you would show up, Emiya. It's just your style to try and stop something like this from happening."

"Shinji… What have you done?"

"Can't you tell? I'm turning everyone here into energy for my Servant. I can't give her the magical energy she needs to stay here, so I had to do this in order to win. You understand, right? From what I see, you're in the same boat as I am."

Shirou made to reply, but I stepped forward, glaring icily at the impudent boy. "That is wrong. I am unique in the fact that I do not require magical energy to be channeled into me constantly; I can just make my own." I glanced around at the red air. "What you are doing here is an atrocity, boy. End this now and I will not remove your head from your shoulders."

I positioned my sword in front of my in a loose but threatening grip. The boy squirmed for a second before smirking once again. "You can't kill me, you know. If you do, Rider here won't end the spell even if she dies."

Stupid, stupid, arrogant child. "There are other ways to change her mind. Say, for example, I cut off her arms and legs and then come after you. How much torture do you think you can withstand before you are _begging_ her to release the spell? How much can your body handle before you begin to plead for death?"

"Hii-," That got him. A terrified look passed across his face, and he scrambled behind his Servant to get away from the killing intent I was producing. "R-Rider! Take care of him!"

Without a word, the purple-haired Servant began to walk forward, producing two daggers linked at the hilt with chains. Saber readied her invisible sword and began to move, but I held out my hand. "No. Let me handle the woman. Go make sure that scared _child_ releases his spell."

With that, I stalked forward to confront Rider. Ten meters separated us. Either one of us could close that in a second. "It's not too late, you know. Cancel the spell and I will allow your Master to escape after he revokes his Command Spells."

She did not react. I began to think she was mute before, "I will not allow that. As long as I am here, you will not touch my Master."

I grinned at her, though I doubted she could see it behind her blindfold. "I may not, but how are you going to stop Saber as well? I'll warn you now, if you expect to be able to handle the both of us, you _will_ die. Saber is the most powerful Servant, but when it comes to technical prowess, I am stronger than she is. You will lose if you do not take me seriously."

"We will see."

The starting point. Faster than I expected, she lunged forward, swinging a dagger at my neck and my left side.

Pitiable that after the shock, she seemed to be moving in slow motion. I parried the blow to my neck and twisted out of the way of the second attack, then crouched and used my momentum from the spin to slam the palm of my left hand into her stomach, sending her sliding back a couple of feet.

If she was shocked, however, she didn't show it.

However, the advantage was now hers. That one block had reminded me just how injured my right arm was. I couldn't fight with it. I gritted my teeth against the burning pain and sheathed my sword.

"It seems that I am going to have a hard time with you." I pulled my right arm to my chest as I said this.

My reiatsu reserves were generally untouched. Aside from the flash step from earlier, and the portion I was continually generating magical energy with, I had plenty left to spare.

However, in a fight, plenty might not be good enough. Especially as handicapped as I was.

I had enough to use ten mid-level Kido. Of the higher tier I could manage maybe three before exhaustion set in. My ultimate attacks were out of the question, one of those would deplete my diminished reserves to nothing, and although they would more than likely defeat Rider, she could evade them with her speed.

Out of the question.

She was beginning to advance again, but more cautiously this time. I glanced behind her to see Saber, Rin, and Shirou cornering Shinji and knew it was only a matter of time before the coward made Rider drop the spell. Good, I don't have to beat her. All I need to do is stall.

My left hand shot forward. "_Bakudo no Rokujuu-ichi: Rikujokoro!"_ Six thick, flat rods of light surrounded Rider and slammed into her midsection, causing her to double over in shock and bound her in place.

I wasted no time. "_Sprinkled on the bones of the beast! Sharp tower, red crystal, steel ring. Move, and become the wind. Stop, and become the calm. The sound of warring spears fills the empty castle! Hado no Rokujuu-san: Raikoho!"_ A thick bolt of yellow lightning shot out of the palm of my left hand toward the immobilized Rider, slamming into her solidly.

I began to pant. Two sixties-level Kido back to back was taxing on my reserves. I could manage one more of that level before giving out.

When the smoke cleared, however, Rider was not unscathed. She was kneeling and panting, blood dripping from her mouth and from ragged cuts on her side and right arm. Despite her injuries, though, still she struggled to stand and fight.

Though she may be one of the weakest Servants, I can tell that Kido would have no effect on her had she known it was coming.

In fact, I have no idea how she did not avoid the spell in the first place. _Rikujokoro_ would not have held a Servant in place for long once the shock wore off. I shook off my doubts and faced the woman in front of me, left palm still outstretched.

"You don't need to do this anymore, Rider. Stay down and drop the barrier. I will kill you otherwise."

"I… can't… do that… My Master… Will not… Allow it…"

I frowned, and glanced at Shirou and the others. He had Shinji pinned to a wall with one arm, the other reared back to punch him. The coward's face was twisted in fear.

"Your Master will not be able to tolerate much more happening to him. He will have you release the barrier in a moment. You can attack me and die, or you can release the barrier and be free to leave with him. I do not want to kill you."

The woman looked torn. "You… will let us go?"

I nod. "Free to leave, on the grounds that your Master revokes his Command Spells. It is that, or die, Rider. The choice is yours."

"…"

Her posture screamed defiance, and just before she could open her mouth to reject me, a terrified scream rang through the hallway. "Rider! I command you to revoke the boundary field! Hurry!"

A book that was laying unnoticed on the floor lit up in a bright flash of light, and when it faded, so did the red air. I glanced at Rider, and walked over to the book. Pointing my index finger at it, I intoned, "_Hado no Gojuu-yon: Haien."_ A purple ball of energy launched from my finger to the book and proceeded to immolate it completely.

'If Rider attacks me, I have no way to defend myself now… That was the last spell I can manage for today… But somehow… I don't think she will.' I turned to look at her. "You're free, and free to go. Take Shinji if you want, but without the Spells, he is no longer your Master." I walked past her and towards Shirou and the others, who were waiting on me.

"Goodbye, Rider. Maybe the next time we meet, we can be allies."

After assuring Shirou and Rin that I was physically fine, only exhausted, I allowed them to lead the way home.

The long walk seemed to pass quickly due to my fatigue, and once I stumbled into the room provided for me, I collapsed on the futon and knew no more.

oOoOoOo

A purple-robed woman watched the whole thing from afar with a globe of pure mana.

Upon seeing the abilities of this new arrival, this 'Shinigami," she smiled to herself.

Now she didn't need Saber.

With the power of a Death God at her disposal, nothing in this war could stand in her way.

So entranced was she with her new pawn, the events happening under her very nose went unnoticed. Shadows lurked, and a Servant was consumed. Darkness boiled and throbbed, becoming an evil the likes of which had never been seen before.

Something dark crawled through the night, and when the dawn arose, the Servant known as Lancer existed no longer.

In the bloodstained dark, the shadow could not contain its glee.

oOoOoOo

And there we have it, folks. Chapter number three, and the start of all the fun stuffs!

Please, ignore how absolutely short and terrible the fight scene is. It's my first attempt, and I am no good at all at writing them…

Anyway, I won't beg for reviews or anything, just drop one if you feel like you need to point something out!

Until next time, everyone.

~Kapskaen


	4. Rule the Heavens

Hey, all. Here I am with another chapter for you. Man, am I cranking these things out.

Anyway, I won't blather on too long up here. Review time!

**Mikey123: **Thanks very much!

**Zangetsu Ossan: **Caster is always making moves, she knows exactly what she wants and exactly how to obtain it. And yes, my Shinigami is the main OC that I use, although I have a few others, both Shinigami and non-Shinigami. Thanks for the review!

**snowxheart: **I'm glad this interests you, really. I never really expected this fic to take off like it has, honestly, so I'm just glad a few people enjoy it. I have the entire story planned out, and I work on chapters almost every day, so I hope to have it completed someday soon.

**Orchamus: **Ah yes, Sakura. I originally was not going to go with putting any Heavens Feel in this story, but after I finished the path on the VN, I enjoyed it too much not too. Rest assured that I have some good ideas for how I'm going to tie everything together, and I hope they all aren't too entirely off the wall. As for Shirou and Saber… Tohsaka may be my favorite character, but I love (read: LOVE) that pairing. When everything is said and done, I really hope I can do it justice.

**Zaralann: **Thanks very much for your interest!

And that has been review time with Kapskaen. Everyone, I present to you, Chapter Four of Fate/Death Night.

Also, as much as I enjoy the idea of a different PoV every chapter, it is unbelievably harder than I expected to alternate so much and keep everyone in a semblance of character. From this point on, the majority of the story will be narrated by Shinigami. Other characters will offer their views on some things, but it is just so much easier to write one character. Let me know if you'd rather me switch it up a bit.

And someone do that damn disclaimer, I'm tired of it.

Saber: Hai. Kapskaen does not, and never will, own any part of Fate/stay Night nor Bleach. Be glad that he does not, because he is a very sick, deluded, and frigid individual.

…I am _not_ frigid…

oOoOoOo

Fate/Death Night

Chapter Four: Rule the Heavens

I glared at the thick bandages on my right hand, willing them to spontaneously combust.

Upon waking up this morning, I found that Rin had taken the liberty to examine me for wounds, and had discovered the fractures and contusions that still existed from my brilliant idea to catch Berserker's sword.

She got _really_ angry about that for some reason. Something about jeopardizing their safety or whatever… I beat Rider, so I'm not too sure what she's on about.

Anyway, off topic. So now I'm stuck resting, with my right arm up to the elbow swathed in prana-reinforced bandaging that Rin said would stimulate my healing factor to an even greater degree.

Which is why we are currently in a glaring competition. I want them off. She says it is troublesome for me to be injured like that.

A normal human would be quailing under the glare of a Servant, but she isn't even flinching.

…The Devil Woman is good, I have to admit.

"Tch." I break off my glare and stare at the wall. No, I am not afraid of her, and no, I am not sulking.

I just have better things to do with my time.

She's still staring at me. I can't see her face too clearly now, but she's probably got that damned victorious little smirk on her-

"Shinigami. Why did you fight Rider when you were so injured?"

I raise an eyebrow, as far as I let my surprise go, and turn to look at her again.

Unexpected.

"Why do you even ask? It's a Servant's job to fight, isn't it? I just did my duty, nothing more."

Her face grew even more serious, a feat which I did not think possible. "Saber could have handled Rider just fine, you know."

I frowned and looked away. "I don't mean this in a belittling way. Quite the opposite, in fact, some of the most terrifying people I have ever known were female. It's just… I don't like passing off on women what I can do myself. It doesn't sit well with me."

…Damn her poker face is good. Note to self, no gambling with Rin-

"That is unnecessary. Saber is a Servant just like you; it is her job as well to fight."

I considered my next words carefully. "I am not denying that. But I had a feeling, and wanted to investigate it. Rider's death would have complicated matters, and I do not believe that Saber has the ability to show restraint in her desire to win."

Now it was her turn to be surprised. "What do you mean?"

I blinked at her for a second. She didn't notice?

"Rin, Command Spells appear on the body of an enemy magus, correct?" A nod. "Yet that boy, Shinji, did not possess his on his arms or hands." Another nod. How can she not see where I'm going with this? "Rin, the book that I destroyed on the ground. Those were the boy's Command Spells. I did not realize that until he ordered Rider to deactivate the Bloodfort, but even the way Rider acted around him was strange. It was almost like she was following orders to follow that boy's orders. Do you understand?"

Her face grew pale and her eyes grew as wide as saucers. "You mean…"

"Yes. I do not think that Shinji was Rider's true Master. Which can only mean one thing. Either he forced an outside Master to give him control of Rider, or… Rider's true Master is a part of his immediate family."

An immediate twitch in her right eye followed that statement. I followed through immediately. "Rin, does that boy have any immediate family?"

She was silent for a long while, before, "…Yes. You've met her, actually… Sakura is Shinji's younger sister."

I sighed. Of course it would be someone Shirou was acquainted with. This was getting much more complicated than it should be…

I made to stand, but Rin stopped me quickly. "Wait! We can't assume that Sakura is a Master just yet. Just because she is Shinji's sister doesn't mean she's fit to be a Master. Families of magus only train one child to be their successor, and Sakura is… a special case…"

I looked at her in an attempt to get her to elaborate, but she just looked away from me.

I sighed again. "I guess you're right… We'll investigate later."

Silence took over the small room before I noticed something. "Hey, Rin… I just realized that Saber isn't with you. Why?"

"Because I told her to wait in the living room for breakfast. Why?"

I shook my head innocently, a small smirk playing on my face. "Oh, no reason, really. It's just, what with you coming all alone to care for the injuries of a strange, yet dashingly handsome young man… My, I wonder what she and Shirou believe. In fact, I wonder if I should ask. Why Tohsaka-dono, do you find me attractive?"

Her face turned so red it probably could have lit up a dark room.

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN BY THAT?"

oOoOoOo

My entrance into the living room only proved my suspicions that this house was anything but normal.

I slid across the floor from the hallway to my spot at the table to dodge a raging Rin, and Shirou and Saber did not even look at us, only carried on with their smalltalk. I was about to say something about how cozy they looked, but Rin was currently murdering me with her eyes, and I sensed something abnormal.

I turned my head to look into the kitchen.

Matou Sakura was cooking breakfast leisurely. That was to be expected. After the incident yesterday, their school had been closed indefinitely until the cause for the mass unconsciousness and wounding of the students could be explained. She looked the ideal junior student, happily cooking away for her senpai.

Only now, she was a suspected Master. Looking at her from the outside, I couldn't see anything wrong. She was smiling and humming to herself as she handled the food, and seemed oblivious to my gaze.

So why did she stink of blood?

I frowned, intending on asking her directly, but a sharp pinch on my leg stopped me from rising. Rin was glaring at me, but for a different reason this time. Her eyes were screaming _no_ to me.

I scowled, but settled down. Just who did this devil woman think she was, pretending to be my Master?

The whole exchange went unnoticed by Shirou, but Saber was looking at us with a little suspicion. I looked away. Rin can fill her in later. For now…

"Sorry for the wait, everyone. Breakfast is ready now."

Food.

oOoOoOo

I won't bore you with the details. The food was damn good, and by the time breakfast was over, everyone's mood had brightened considerably. Sakura left, saying she had some things that needed attending to, so now our little group was gathering in the dojo, scheming.

Rin says we're strategizing, but I know scheming when I see it.

Our plan of attack is simplistic in the fact that we don't _have_ a plan of attack. Berserker trounced Saber and Rin. Only my timely summoning had prevented death from claiming them, and I still suspected something of the simplicity of the fight with Rider. It should not have been that easy.

Saber was all for an all-out attack on other Masters. Of course, since Shinji is no longer a Master, the only one we are aware of is Berserker's Master.

It goes without saying that her idea was shot down quick.

I don't trust Shirou when it comes to plans, since he seems the self-sacrificial type, so we all stared expectantly at Rin.

Who subsequently informed us that she had no idea what to do.

I know, we're good at this sort of stuff.

In all seriousness, strategy meetings bore me. I'm like Saber in the fact that I'm more of an 'action' guy. Blade meeting neck is enough strategy for me any day.

Rin and Shirou call a recess, and get up to go make lunch. Hard to believe we've been here all day doing nothing but throwing out ideas. I stand, stretching my legs to get the blood flowing again.

"Shinigami."

I acknowledge her by turning my head ever so slightly in her direction.

"I have a question for you… More of a favor, actually."

I turn to her fully, looking at her suspiciously. "A favor, from me? What could I have that you would possibly want?"

A flicker of displeasure flashed across her face, but she inhaled and exhaled, and it was gone. She must really want something to put aside scolding me.

"I saw the power you had behind those spells you used against Rider… If at all possible, do you think you could teach me to harness that energy? It would be beneficial to have an extra source of power in battle."

I frowned. She was right, but I'm not too sure about giving an already indescribably powerful being more power to wield. Absolute power corrupts absolutely, and all that noise. "You do not want to walk my path, Saber. I assure you of that."

Determination welled up in her eyes. "I do not seek the power, Shinigami. I only seek another way to protect my Master and her allies."

A blind man could tell that she was one hundred percent sincere. She genuinely wanted to protect those she cares about. I stared at her a couple seconds longer before sighing.

"Very well, then. I can already tell you that you have a decent amount of reiatsu, which is a given since you are a Servant. You just need to learn to harness it, which is simple in and of itself."

I settled myself down into a comfortable position across from her. "The first thing I need you to do is close your eyes and try to meditate. Control your breathing. Find that place inside yourself where your power lies."

I watched silently as she did just that. Once she grasped a hold of her new power, then I would teach her to control it.

Now, to wait.

oOoOoOo

It didn't take nearly as long as I thought for Saber to grasp the basics of harnessing reiatsu. Once she could pull upon the energy at will, I ran her through basic drills of control, teaching her techniques that would make her usage of her power more efficient and less time-consuming.

She soaked up the knowledge like a sponge. Truly, if she were a Shinigami, she hasthe potential to become very powerful.

But she is not. I will teach her how to store reiatsu and convert it to magical energy, but that will be all. The last thing I need is to piss her off and have her flinging Kido at me…

Rin and Shirou came back to inform us that lunch was served, and promptly left, with Saber tagging along behind them. I'm not all that hungry, so I excuse myself early. I need to check something out, anyway.

I feel kind of bad, keeping this from Shirou and the others, but something was off with Rider, and I want to know why.

I knelt in the floor of the dojo, bit the index finger of my left hand deep enough to draw blood, and began my spell. I traced a circle divided into four parts, and began my incantation. "_Heart of the south, eye of the north, finger of the west, foot of the east, arrive with the wind and depart with the rain. Bakudo no Gojuu-hachi: Kakushitsuijaku."_

The circle on the ground pulsed once, and then flared with a bright white light as I concentrated on the lingering feel of Rider's reiatsu. _Flash,_ locked coordinate one. _Flash, _locked coordinate two. _Flash, _coordinate three. _Pulse, _coordinate four. Location, determined.

I opened my eyes, did the math in my head, and tensed in shock.

The Hell? But I can't even-

No. I flared my senses to their max, and detected a faint signature just outside. She's been here the whole time, hiding.

I glared at my right hand again, knowing full well that without my sword I can't beat her in a serious fight. I really need to learn to wield with my left hand…

Oh well, no time to worry now. "SABER, GET TO THE YARD!"

No explanation was needed, I felt her reiatsu flare and start to move immediately.

I threw open the door to the hallway, and flash stepped to where I knew Rider was hiding. I must have taken her by surprise, because there was no reaction from her even when I grabbed her arm and flash stepped back into the center of the yard.

Shirou, Rin, and Saber were all waiting. Saber and Shirou with their physical weapons trained on her, and Rin and I with our hands outstretched, prepared to blast her with spells should she attack.

The only sound was the small breeze blowing through the yard.

I needed answers. "Why are you here, Rider?"

"I am under orders from my Master."

Shirou spoke up. "Is Shinji your Master again?"

"No."

Rin's turn, now. "Then what did your Master order you to do? To kill Shirou and myself?"

"No."

Saber was silent, so I asked the final question. "What were your orders, Rider?"

"To protect Emiya Shirou to the best of my abilities."

Wait… what?

"…You expect us to believe that?"

"No, I do not. I am only doing what my Master has ordered me to do. I do not care about what you believe."

I monitored her reiatsu with a frown as the others interrogated her. No fluctuations or deviations that would indicate falsehoods… "I think she's actually telling the truth, everyone."

They all looked at me like I had grown a second head. "Don't give me that look… Look, if she came here to fight, she could have attacked before I detected her. Speaking of, how were you able to hide your presence like that? I didn't sense you until I used a tracking spell to determine where you had gone."

"I may not have the abilities of Servant Assassin, but I can hide my presence somewhat effectively. The Rider class is second only to the Assassin class in terms of stealth."

Troubling. Had I not used _Kakushitsuijaku, _I would have never known she was there. If Assassin was better in stealth than her, I doubt I would be able to detect him until his blade was in my back. Unless I'm mistaken, that's just a tad too late.

"So, then. I guess for now, you're an ally, Rider. I only have one question for you, though. From whom are you protecting Shirou?"

"From you."

I leveled a flat glare at the woman. "Shirou is my Master, Rider. He has nothing to fear from me."

"But will you always remain his Servant? The Holy Grail War has endless possibilities. How long do you think an untalented Master like him can keep a Servant such as yourself?"

I was getting angry. My glare turned fierce, and my reiatsu began to gather in the area unconsciously. "You will give me a straight answer, Servant Rider, or the last thing you will ever see will be your head sliding off of your shoulders."

I may have been seeing things, but it seemed there was a small smile playing on the woman's lips. "Servant Caster has taken a profound interest in you, Shinigami. So much so that she believes if she can control your power, she can win the war for her Master. This Caster is a magus nigh unheard of in this day and age, and rumor has it that she has a way to terminate and rewrite any contract."

A stunned silence fell over us. Even the wind had calmed down now.

"An interest in… me? Why?"

Rider said nothing.

"Damnit, Rider! Answers!"

"I do not know. I only wish to inform you to be on your guard until you are fully healed. You do not have the magical resistance of Saber, and without your primary weapon, Caster may just overwhelm you."

I began to grind my teeth in frustration. Just how was she getting this information? I would call complete bullshit, but once again, her reiatsu did not indicate falsehoods.

A hand on my shoulder. "Shinigami… Are you okay?"

She doesn't even approve of me, and she's trying to comfort me. "Of course I'm okay. I just got told that some crazy bitch is hunting me down to use me to kill all of you. I'm just peachy, Saber. And yourself?"

I felt her flinch. Great, she was only trying to help and now I've hurt her feelings or something.

"I want to know where she is. Tell me where I can find Caster. She's dying. _Tonight._"

I have a feeling that I'm overreacting, but I was an unwilling puppet for centuries. I will not submit myself to someone else again.

"I have no orders to deliver that information to you."

My left hand twitches to my sword, but Shirou finally decides to interject and say something. "Stop, Shinigami. Hurting Rider isn't going to make her tell you anything. At least we know who our enemy is now, maybe we can take her out before facing Berserker."

"Oh, I doubt that, Emiya-kun."

The cold voice is ringing with amusement from behind us all. I incinerate the bandages on my right hand with but a thought and a flare of Kido, and draw my sword in a flash, rushing towards the new sound.

A moderately-sized woman, hooded in an intricate purple cloak stands there. But something is… off.

I swing my sword at her anyway, ignoring the lance of pain going through my arm. The blade passes right through her with no resistance. Caster is unscathed. "An illusion…"

"That's right, Shinigami-kun. I saw that menace Rider over there telling you all about my little plan, so I just had to come and explain myself."

I was seething at that point. I knew my reiatsu was out of control from the gasping I heard coming from behind me, but I made no attempt to rein it in.

"I can provide you with unlimited mana, Shinigami-kun. You could use your abilities and Noble Phantasm as much as you wanted to win this war, with no strings attached. I can give you _power._"

The power to win the war…

"I can give you your wish, as well. You mutter it into the night, sometimes, you know. A chance to regain what is lost. To be forgiven by the allies you betrayed."

My wish, granted…

"All I ask in return is that you kill the people you call your allies."

Something so simple, and I would be rewarded with everything I want…

"The choice is yours, Shinigami-kun."

I bottle my anger into an icy-cool rage and store it away. I won't be able to do this if I attack recklessly. I have one shot.

A smirk plays on my face. "…I found you, bitch."

With a flare of reiatsu, I disrupt her illusion, though her voice still echoes around the yard.

"How disappointing, Shinigami-kun. You could have been a wonderful ally. No matter, though. Your value as a puppet is still more than enough…"

I sheathe my sword and hold my aching arm against my chest. Two days until it is healed, at most.

"…She is at the temple on the mountain. I had to get close to her to find her reiatsu thread."

I face Shirou, but speak to all parties present. "You have two days to prepare. In two days, Caster will die, whether you all are with me or not." I turn and start to walk into the house.

A pair of footsteps follow me in. A soft voice whispers a question. "Why are you so angry about this…?"

I will not take my anger out on her. She does not know. She cannot know. "I am _nobody's _puppet, Rin. My will is my own."

Her face tells me that she knows there is more to the reason than that, but she doesn't press the issue.

I am only a Servant to her, what does she care, anyway?

oOoOoOo

She can tell that the man in front of her is scarred. She saw the longing in his eyes when Caster promised him what he desired, just like everyone else.

It would have made sense if he had attacked, honestly. She probably wouldn't have hated him if he did.

So why? Why did he reject her offer? Their group is nothing without him and Saber; they would stand absolutely no chance against any other Master or Servant. He must know this.

But still he stayed.

He had no reason to stay, but he stayed.

She did not get interested in people often, but this mere Servant, a man whose identity she could not even fathom had captured her interest more so than anything else.

She wanted to understand him for some reason.

oOoOoOo

It's amazing how fast two days can pass when you're preparing yourself for a huge battle.

I stood in the dojo, flexing and testing my right arm. There was some aching, but it was fully healed.

I drew my sword and took a long look at the blade. "We are puppets of no-one. We manage our own future. Those who assist us gain our favor in battle, those against us fall into the icy, cold arms of death. We are our own, aren't we...?"

The question seemed directed at the empty room around them, but a strange sense of approval seemed to radiate from the blade after the question. I smiled to myself.

"Yes, it is good to finally hold you again, as well…"

A presence at the door. Rin.

"Have you finished preparing?"

A small gasp. Apparently she did not expect me to notice her. "…Yes. We're ready. But Shinigami, are you sure about this? You just got over an injury, and Caster probably has many traps set up for us."

A pause. "I'm sure, Rin. If Caster truly has a way to control another Servant, then she needs to be eliminated. If she gained control of me or Saber, this war would get much more complicated. If she obtained us both? Nobody would stand a chance."

She looked away, an unsure expression on her face.

"What's wrong, Rin? This isn't like you at all."

Her gaze shot right back to me, this time with a glare. "Nothing is wrong! I just have a bad feeling about this!"

I met her glare coolly. "Then you and Saber stay here. Keep Shirou with you, as well. If he followed me without your backup, he'd probably get caught up in the fight and die."

She was still glaring, but it seemed softer, somehow. "Saber would never let me live it down if I left an ally to fight a battle by himself. Besides, she's been itching for a fight ever since you took down Rider."

I smirked. I haven't known her for long, but that is Tohsaka-speak for "I'm not letting you go alone, idiot."

"Very well, then. Suit yourself." I sobered up. "It's time. Get Shirou and meet me at the foot of the mountain, I have something I need to look into first."

She looked curious, but only nodded and walked off.

I walked onto the porch, gathered as much reiatsu as I dared to use before the fight, and flash stepped into a park in town.

Walking to the center, I glanced around to see if anyone was watching, then knelt down and stretched my senses to their absolute limits.

Forgive me for being paranoid, but I am _not_ going to start a fight where there is a chance that Berserker may be a party crasher. Fuck that noise with a shovel.

I only needed to search the surrounding area and around the mountain, however, to determine that he was not in town. There was no evidence of a massive, rampaging energy source anywhere, so it was safe to assume that he and his Master are not active tonight.

_Perfect._

I caught Saber's energy drawing closer to the mountain, so I stood and began to run to the foot of the mountain. Another flash step would be a waste of energy, so hopefully I won't pass too many people on the way there. Maybe they'll just think a cosplay convention came into town?

Look at me, running to fight for my life, and I'm making jokes. If sanity wasn't so overrated, I'd be worrying about mine.

I ran faster, relishing the wind rushing past my ears. If I kept up this pace, I should arrive just after Saber and the rest.

Now that I think of it, Shirou might get a little mad that I started this attack without his say so… At least my class was given enough 'Free Action' for independent thought.

I shake the glib thoughts out of my mind and pick up even more speed. I should be nothing but a blur to humans now. Now is a time for seriousness. A time for action.

I will be _no-one's_ puppet.

oOoOoOo

I arrived before the others, surprisingly. I don't mind, though. It gives me a chance to scout out the mountain ahead of time.

I can sense Caster's presence in the plaza in front of the temple. It seems she knows we are coming. That can't be avoided, really. If she's as infatuated with me as she seems to be, of course she would be keeping tabs on us.

However, there is another presence on the mountain that bothers me.

Compared to Saber and Berserker, this presence is but a speck of dust in the wind. Inconsequential. But the reiatsu this being is leaking is _wrong_. It absolutely _reeks_ of blood and death. I don't think it's a Servant… and that worries me immensely. For some reason, it's familiar…

But it is still inconsequential. And on the other side of the mountain, to boot. We have nothing to fear from it.

Footsteps and familiar presences. Saber and the others. I open my eyes and glare at the mountain steps. Time to go.

I dash forward, drawing my sword with a clear ring, and sprint up the steps. Rhythmic steps behind me informed me that Saber was hot on my heels.

Good. There's no time for delay, we have to be quick and clean here.

I increased my pace, starting to leap up the stairs instead of run, and abruptly stopped dead in my tracks.

There was a man there. A man whose presence I could not sense and I was looking dead at him.

Only one person has that ability.

He smiles cruelly at Saber and I. "Servant Assassin… Sasaki Koujirou."

…What? He told us his name? I don't recognize it, but…

Wait. I don't recognize it. A heroic spirit is supposed to be someone famous.

I do not know this man.

A chuckle. "Oh, so my opponents do not even give me the courtesy of names? What a shame."

Saber steps forward. "Servant Saber-"

"Shut up, Saber. Your name carries weight. It's not something to throw around lightly." I stepped forward. "Servant Shinigami. I was once known as the Ryujin of my era, though my given name is Cale."

Saber looks at me as if dumbfounded. Assassin just laughs coldly.

"Oh, it seems you do have manners. Alas, the one with the unfamiliar name challenges me. I was hoping to find a weakness in you. Oh well, it matters not. Neither of you will pass this gate."

I scowl, and brandish my sword. "You are welcome to try and stop me, Assassin."

I begin to move into position, but Saber thrusts out her arm to stop me. "No, Shinigami. Assassin is not your target. Allow me to fight him in your place."

"Saber…" She's giving me an opportunity to move on?

"Go and defeat Caster. If you are not done by the time I arrive," a small smirk forms on her face. "I may just take your victory away from you."

I stare at her in shock, then chuckle and nod. "…Yeah. Come and try, Saber."

Assassin just watches us patiently. "Oh, are we done talking? Tell me, how are we going to fight, Shinigami?"

I smirk at him. "We're not." A flash step later, I was standing at his back. "But she'll be enough to handle you."

I run toward the gate as he whirls around, but the clashing of steel behind me tells me that Saber has engaged him. Shirou and Rin are drawing closer to their battle as well.

This is it. Caster lies through here.

I take a deep breath and stride through, walking until I am standing twenty feet away from a purple robed woman.

I say nothing. She knows why I am here.

"So you came to submit yourself, Shinigami-kun. Or should I call you Cale? Hmm, such a foreign name. English, is it not?"

I do not reply, choosing instead to settle into a comfortable ready position. The hilt of my sword positioned parallel to my right shoulder, both hands grasping it. Blade edge pointing toward the heavens, the point aimed at the bridge of Caster's nose. Feet apart shoulder width and firmly planted, knees just slightly bent. No matter which way she attacks now, I can defend or avoid it.

"So impetuous, Shinigami-kun. For a puppet, you sure have a lot of spunk."

"Silence yourself, witch," I spit, "You will not taunt me into losing the advantage."

Her smile is almost friendly. "Hmm… it seems you were smarter than I imagined."

A snap of her fingers and an odd clacking noise fills the open area.

Out of the darkness, countless bone constructs file into the plaza. They surround me and form a protective wall between myself and their master.

"So, you call me all the way here, expecting me to submit, and you can't even fight me yourself? It seems the rumors were wrong about you, witch. You're no spectacular magus. You're nothing but a two-bit conjurer of cheap tricks."

A tense silence. "…You will regret saying that, _puppet._"

The mass of bone constructs charge me.

I free my mind, and _move._

In an instant, I become a whirlwind of flashing death. My blade winks into existence for only a second before one of the golems break apart, and I move onto the next.

Parry, slash, block, dodge, slash, thrust, parry, kick, slash, thrust, dodge, parry, kick.

I flow from one attack to the next with the grace of an ever-flowing river. I am untouchable. Unstoppable.

Caster just watches the scene impassively.

These golems are nothing but annoying trash to a Servant. She knows this. Even a human could destroy these things with a strong hit.

She's doing this to gauge my fighting abilities. That complicates things.

I begin entwining short flash steps into my attacks, if only to give her a harder time reading my movements. It won't matter, though. In a minute, these golems will be dust, and the real battle will begin.

A final slash and the last golem flies into pieces. Only Caster remains.

I pant lightly, trying to catch my breath from the slight exertion and subsequent use of power for those flash steps.

Without a word, she raises her hand and lets fly a spell. I raise my left hand. "_Hado no Ichi: Sho!"_

My spell hits hers and does not dissolve it, but alters its path enough for it to fly, sizzling, over my shoulder. A burning line on my face tells me it nicked me. It also tells me that I will be in a lot of trouble if one of those hit me solidly.

I grit my teeth. Caster has the advantage here. I can't risk drawing closer to her until I know exactly how her ability to break contracts works, assuming Rider is even correct about that.

I can delay her with spellcasting, but her skills as a magus far outweigh my abilities as a Kido specialist. That, and as class Caster, she must have access to a well of mana that far outstrips my pool of reiatsu. If worst comes to worst, I may actually have to release…

Another spell comes flying my way. I duck it, and launch a _Byakurai_ towards her, but it is deflected easily. This is just a game to her right now. The lower level Kido would harm her as much as a gnat could harm an elephant.

Time to test her abilities.

I gather my reiatsu, preparing to use a high class Kido, but making sure to leave enough for an emergency. Who knows, I may have to release, then use _shunpo_ to flee. Can't well do that if I drain myself to nothing.

"_Ye lord! Mask of blood and flesh, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! On the wall of blue flame, inscribe a twin lotus. In the abyss of conflagration, wait at the far heavens. Hado no Nanajuu-san: Soren Sokatsui!"_

She watches my incantation with a calm smile.

I thrust my hands forward, palms out, my left hand located under my right, and twisted so that my knuckles are facing down as opposed to my right hand's facing up. Two fiery blasts explode out of the palms of my hands and fly towards Caster at an incredible speed…

…Only to dissolve like tissue paper on the barrier she erects.

"…What? A seventies-level Hado… She deflected it like it was nothing?"

Caster smiled at me serenely, obviously confident that my spirit was crushed. "Is that all you have, puppet? Maybe I was wrong, your power has done nothing but bore me so far. You should know that you cannot defeat me in a contest of spellwork."

…So it's come to this, has it? I'll have to end this quickly…

"No, Caster… I've got one more trick to show you. It won't last long, so don't blink. If you do, you'll die without ever knowing what killed you."

I stand straight, and hold my sword straight out in front of me, point facing her once again. I twist it ninety degrees counterclockwise.

My remaining reiatsu built up on itself.

"…_Ten wo Tojiro, Hyoshini."_

oOoOoOo

And there we have it. Longest chapter thus far, and man my wrists are informing me of that fact.

For all wondering parties, Hyoshini means "Ice Death," and "Ten wo Tojiro," roughly translates to "Rule the Heavens." Hence the title. I know, this chapter probably seems a bit rough. Apologies for that. But things have to pick up a bit before they can slow down, so prepare for a lot of upcoming action.

Anyway, drop a review if you feel like it. I always enjoy hearing what you guys think.

Until next time,

~Kapskaen


	5. Bane of the Fallen King

And here we go again, everyone.

**Zangetsu Ossan: **Releases it, he does. But his energy is running perilously low, can it make a difference? Dun-dun-dun…

**zerohour20xx: **I thank you for your review, and have enclosed my reply in a PM for your convenience.

**Zaralann: **I live for unexpected. Hopefully it's the good/meh kind of unexpected, though, and not the "Oh God, this is horrible" kind.

**BlueDragoness: **Thanks for reviewing! I plan on keeping up with this as long as I physically can. I understand that there are things that aren't canon, but like I told zerohour20xx in my reply, this is fanfiction, and an off the wall crossover of sorts, at that. Canonical doesn't really fit in anywhere where there is a being from another "universe," unfortunately… The Bleach universe is, ehh… _similar_. Shinigami are just essentially super powered ghosts that protect humanity from danger. My apologies if my OC is too overpowered. It's really hard to take into consideration the fact that I know his limits, and I also have the advantage of knowing where the story is going and why I do what I do, yet you, the reader, does not. Unfortunately, my skill lies in idea-making, not storytelling (a fact I hope to change by doing things like fanfiction), and I'm not good at judging my own writing as a reader would. As for my writing style, I tend to think that a sort of "personal journal" type is more easily handled by the reader, and it gives a story that personal feel that other styles and narrations cannot achieve. That being said, it is moderately difficult to juggle the personalities of different characters that are not my own. Since my OC is just that, mine, I know and understand his personality like the back of my hand. I made him, after all. But for pre-established characters, it's all just guesswork and inferring what you can from what you know about the series. I'm lucky in the sense that I am basing Fate/Death Night off of the Fate/stay Night visual novel, and it is told in first person from Shirou's point of view. That makes it marginally easier to write him. Anyway, I'll wrap this up, I'm sure you'd much rather read the chapter than me giving boring explanations. ^_^;

**snowxheart: **Sakura is just under suspicion, so they won't be keeping a very close eye on her just yet… And I've been getting a lot about falling out of canon here lately, so I'll explain that. Please read my authors note at the end of this chapter. And thank you for liking the characters, I put a surprising amount of work into keeping them in character. It's confusing, juggling that many personalities, especially in dialogue. There will be many more fun situations here soon, though, so keep an eye out!

**chronodekar: **Ah, no.. Ichigo is not the Shinigami of this story. Shinigami is an OC of mine. If you look closely in chapter one, you'll find his description, "White hair and red eyes," being among his physical traits.

**Pedro Boncompagni: **Thanks!

**rajvir: **Thanks for your interest!

Well, I don't have much to say, other than that.

Disclaimer: …This again? *Points to chapter one* Look there, for there you shall find the Grail you seek. …See what I did there?

oOoOoOo

Fate/Death Night

Chapter Five: Bane of the Fallen King

Priorites.

As I faced the long-haired Servant in front of me, there were currently three running through my mind.

Number one, protecting my Master and her ally, Emiya Shirou, at all costs.

Number two, defeating Assassin and/or his Master.

Number three, assisting Shinigami in defeating Caster, and/or her Master.

I had my goals. Now, all that was left was to obtain them.

"My, my… That man sure left in a hurry. I was wrong about him, no manners at all." Glancing at me calmly, Assassin's cold smile grew. "I guess I'll have to deal with you instead, Saber."

"It seems that way," I answer calmly. "Unfortunately, I do not have time to tarry here with you. I have other business to attend to."

Sounds of clashing steel and crumbling debris from the courtyard ahead. It seems Shinigami had wasted no time engaging Caster.

I must waste no time, myself.

"Let us begin, Assassin."

A slight swish as he raised his blade into a ready position. I grasped Invisible Air tighter in anticipation.

A breeze shakes the surrounding trees. A leaf falls silently, gently. It connects with a feather's kiss against the ground, and our opposing powers erupt simultaneously.

oOoOoOo

My power, diminished as it was, coursed through my veins. After so long, a _Shikai_ released of my own will…

Glorious.

A mist forms throughout the open area, condensing on both Caster's exposed flesh and my own. Slowly, from the fingertips of my left hand and rising, my arm began to become encased in a gauntlet of deep blue, diamond hard ice.

Caster watched in awe as my transformation took place. Outwardly, only my arm had changed, the gauntlet of armor fully encasing it now, but Caster was a Servant, and an extremely powerful magus to boot. I knew she sensed the sharpening of my reiatsu after I released Hyoshini.

I can't help but smirk. If she's shocked at seeing a _Shikai, _then knowing that this is barely the tip of the literal iceberg that is my power might blow her mind into pieces.

But that would be overkill. No, Hyoshini is all I need to accomplish what needs to be done.

"Impressive, my puppet. But a mere gauntlet of armor won't be able to stop me from harming you."

I pulled my sheath from my back, grasping it in my left hand, and to the shock of my opponent, sheathed my blade. The air around my person cooled rapidly as my power swelled. I settled into a slightly crouched stance, my right hand hovering over my sword's hilt.

"I am not, nor ever will be your puppet, witch. Before you die, etch that into your deluded mind."

My thumb twitched, the blade unlocked from the sheath.

With the drop of my hand, Hyoshini flew from its sheath in a movement faster than anyone, human or Servant, could perceive.

"_Zanjuts-shiki no Ichi: Nadegiri."_

From the arc of the swing, a near-translucent blade of pure ice rocketed at near supersonic speed toward my enemy. To her credit as a magus, the speed with which she raised her anti-magic barrier was impressive, but my attack was magic and reiatsu free.

I recalled a grizzled old man from the past, instructing me on ways to use my _Zanpakuto._ An unbelievably powerful old man, who was the inventor of the technique I just used.

I shook my head. Now was not the time for nostalgia.

Her barrier shattered, cut completely in two by my attack, and a wicked diagonal slash carved itself into her crossed arms, and a small part of her side.

Well, damn. I had hoped to see her in two pieces, twitching or something…

I must be weaker than I thought, and that's very troubling.

A light, bell-like sound comes to me. I look around for a second before realizing that Caster is giggling. Not a psychotic, desperate giggling, but she sounds genuinely amused.

"That's it… That's it! That's the power I'm looking for!"

Unless I'm mistaken, that's not despair. She's still standing in one piece, and she's laughing at one of my best Shikai attacks.

I am now convinced that this is not going to go exactly like I planned.

A flash of light in her hands was the only warning I had before she launched twin attacks at me. Too fast to dodge without wasting energy by using _shunpo._

Hyoshini's blade flashed, batting one of the balls of light aside, while my gauntleted arm darted out to slap the other away. The first was pushed to the side, carving a long, deep trench in the ground, but the other snagged on my hand, detonating on impact, sending me flying.

I rolled to a stop and lay there with pain shooting through my body for a moment before languidly rising to my feet.

I glared at Caster, panting.

What _was_ this woman? A superior spellcaster than myself, obviously, but other than that, she was nothing! Why couldn't I stand up to her?

"Kukuku… You look confused, my puppet. Are you wondering why everything you attempt is ineffective? The cause is quite simple."

The woman began a slow, meandering walk towards me, beginning her explanation.

"Indeed, I would have been in quite a bit of trouble from your earlier spellwork had I not taken certain… precautions. You must have noticed by now, that marvelous secondary energy source of yours is quite weak, to say the least." My eyes narrowed. "Oh, don't give me that look. I have no way to drain energy from you… yet. From what I've discovered of your powers, I can only weaken it slightly. That was the whole point of luring you here, into my boundary field."

Anger flashed through me. Of course I would have fallen for the oldest trick in the book… I'm such an idiot. Caught up in my own rage and trepidation, I walked right in to this.

Caster was drawing closer. "Unfortunately, I only had enough time to attune this field to you. If Saber and your pathetic little human friends arrive, that may mean trouble. So unfortunately, I must end this quickly."

Thirty feet away, and she stops. I have no choice.

This will probably drain away all the time I have left, but… I have no choice…

I extend my right arm outwards, Hyoshini's blade pointed straight at the ground. Whatever Caster's going to do, I can't allow it.

"_Ban-"_

A light touch on my chest. I stop speaking in surprise.

She's directly in front of me, her hand laying lightly on my right pectoral.

Her smile of victory was the last thing I saw before my entire world erupted in agony.

oOoOoOo

It was all over in a matter of minutes. A talented swordsman though he was, he stood no chance against my full might in single combat.

"I see, Saber. You really did have no time to waste. Oh well… I won't complain. I got to fight; my wish is granted."

And so Servant Assassin, Sasaki Koujirou, faded from this world.

Shirou and Rin had since arrived to witness Assassin's defeat, and I turned to fully look at them.

"We must go. Shinigami is fighting ahead."

A nod from the pair, and I turned to run up the stairs, this time slow enough for them to keep up. Rin paused outside the gate. "There is a boundary field in place here… Give me a moment."

I glanced around in an attempt to see the battle, but a heavy mist had fallen over the large courtyard, blocking nearly all vision. It was unnatural, and obviously came from either Caster or Shinigami.

Rin's voice grabbed my attention once again. "This field was definitely set up by Caster… From what I can tell it was made to significantly weaken a target…"

The three of us exchanged a look of dread as the implications of that settled in.

Priority three.

I dash through the gate into the mist, and unseal a part of Invisible Air. The resulting blast of wind pushes the mist away, and I finally get sight of Shinigami. Caster is directly in front of him, her hand on his chest.

"Oh look, another annoyance…" The deadpan delivery shows that she does not care about my arrival. "It looks like I won't be able to use my Noble Phantasm in time… Oh well."

An influx of power that even I can sense from this distance. She's about to release a spell.

Shinigami is still frozen in shock as Caster smiles cruelly and blasts him from point blank range with a thick, powerful bolt of yellow lightning.

The name of her spell echoes around the courtyard.

"_Raikoho."_

oOoOoOo

After the initial shock of the blast, the pain dulled away into nothing.

My whole body went numb. I only vaguely heard her utter the name of the spell.

I wanted to be confused. I wanted to question just how she could use Kido.

But as I watched the blood begin to slowly pour out of the new cavity in my chest, I could bring myself to care.

I felt myself drop. I had no more strength left in my body. My Shikai was still in effect, and the blood coming from my chest was already beginning to crystallize. Soon, the hole would be plugged, but there was no way I could fight.

I lost.

I lost.

It hurts, it hurts, and I lost.

Oh _God,_ it hurts.

I grit my teeth against the agony coursing through me and force myself to look up. Saber had leapt forward to engage Caster. I couldn't hear anything over the ringing in my ears. A few blows were exchanged, most of them courtesy of Saber, before Caster vanished.

Retreated, I imagine. With Saber here, even though I was wounded, whatever she had planned for me likely became too dangerous to follow up on. Lucky me.

I tensed automatically at a touch on my shoulder before realizing the threat was gone. Shirou and Rin were kneeling by my side, with Rin gripping my shoulder. Her mouth is moving. I can't hear what she's saying.

I feel myself being pushed down. I think she wants to treat my chest. I feebly attempt to push her away. Now isn't the time, Caster might still be around.

Shirou grabs my arms and pins them down. I fix him with a glare, but his gaze is focused totally on Rin.

"…Ice seems to… wound. …Lucky…" I can make out a few words. Seems like my hearing is repairing itself. They don't make sense to me, though, I must be more wounded than I thought.

A pressure on my wound. I gasp in pain. "…-gami. I nee-… power."

What? I can't understand you…

"Release your… …-an't treat you…"

Release… oh. Hyoshini is still released. She can't get to the wound through the ice. I take a deep breath and seal my sword, feeling the leftover ice on my arm and chest become brittle and shatter.

Immediately I am assaulted with a bout of dizziness as the blood that was held back by my Shikai is let loose.

"…Damn, he's going to bleed out at this rate… Shirou, take off your shirt and press it to his wound! I need to prepare a spell!"

My vision is slowly starting to grow dark. I won't last much longer. I've been in enough fights to know that much.

Wait… No, it's not my vision. The surrounding area is growing darker.

Saber tenses before I can make out the figure she sees. A shadow, roughly human-sized. Nothing but a dark blob of mass with what looked like red runes lining its body. I gathered my wits long enough to spread my senses out.

Shockingly, the thing's presence was familiar. The odd feeling I had gotten from the opposite side of the mountain.

Everything about that shadow's presence oozed _wrongness._

A small shot of adrenaline coursed through me. "S-Saber… r-run…"

No good, I'm only able to mumble a bit. Shirou and Rin, however, heard me and swiveled their heads around to face the creature.

"D-don't look, j-just… just run!"

My shout echoed around the silent courtyard and drained me of what little strength I had left in me.

The shadow began to advance slowly toward Saber. Tendrils began to form out of it. Were they a part of it, or just a creation? I can't tell.

I do know that if that thing reaches us, we are all going to die.

I push my pain and weakness aside. Saber is strong, she can get Rin and Shirou away. Thanks to her small amount of treatment, and the makeshift bandage around my chest, the bleeding is stopped for the most part.

With my remaining strength, I could stall for three minutes, at most. _Shikai_ would use up most of my reiatsu, but if I used the power I was converting into magical energy, I could possibly get in one good attack before I faded away.

That would have to be good enough. Sorry, Shirou, Rin, Saber… Good luck. "…_Ten wo_-"

Rin's hand clamped over my mouth, silencing me. "If you're doing what I think you're doing, _don't._ I didn't waste magical energy on you just so get yourself killed, idiot."

I glared at her. "Mmmf fmm mfmm fmmmf mff!"

My glare was mirrored easily. "Would you just shut up for a second? You have _hole_ in your _chest._ Servant or no, you can't be up and fighting unless you want to die."

She glanced toward the shadow and Saber. "Besides… Saber is enough to handle whatever that is."

I pull her hand off my face. "Can't you feel it? This whole place started reeking of death the second that thing made itself known. You're underestimating it, and that is going to get somebody-"

A scream drew our attention. One of the tendrils had connected with Saber's arm and… dissolved. Half of her body was covered in what looked like black mud, and she was on her knees clawing at it like it was some sort of acid.

Shirou reacted first. "Saber!" He tried to rush, but I shoved Rin into him.

"You two get out of here! I'll get Saber and follow."

Rin made to say something, but I cut her off. "I won't fight it, I promise. I'll get Saber out and meet you back at the house. Now go, Rin, Master! _Please!_"

Maybe it was my plea, but after hesitating for a second, they nodded and sprinted for the gate.

I have enough energy for two spells. Two mid-level spells and I will have to start using the magical energy binding me here.

I picked up my sword and sheathed it. No use for it now, _Shikai _will only get one of us killed.

I threw out my right hand. "_Carriage of thunder, bridge of a spinning wheel. With Light, divide this into six! Bakudo no Rokujuu-ichi: Rikujokoro!"_

The six beams of light plowed into the shadow, halting its movements. Only one more of that level left in me. I run to Saber's side and kneel next to her.

"Saber! Saber! What's wrong?"

Nothing but agonized screaming answers me. However, I notice the problem almost immediately. From what I can see through the mud, the areas affected by it have taken on a semi-pallid look, and have weird, red patterns inscribed on them. Whatever this mud is, it's acting like a poison.

I have to get it off of her somehow. The question is _how?_

Freezing it would probably work, but _Shikai_ is out of the question… Touching it myself is out, too. If I get poisoned the both of us are done for. Guess I have no choice.

"Saber, if you can hear me, brace yourself. This is going to hurt a lot."

I gather my remaining energy and channel it into a spell. This is it, so it has to work. "_Hado no Gojuu-yon: Haien._" A small ball of purple energy leaps from the palm of my hand onto Saber's body. Instantly, the mud lights up, but so does her clothes and armor.

I watch carefully, knowing that I'll have to disrupt the spell to avoid hurting her soon.

I don't have much magical energy keeping me here. I remake as much as I can spare into reiatsu, grab Saber, and with one last look at the impassive shadow, I flash step as far away as I possibly can.

We come to a crashing landing in the intersection close to Shirou's home, incidentally just as Rin and Shirou arrive there.

"Saber!" "Shinigami!"

"Saber… Poison…"

That's all I can manage before my world fades into darkness.

oOoOoOo

Pain.

My world has long since degenerated into an endless abyss of agony.

I can feel it. Crawling through me.

Pain. Evil. Darkness. _**Hate.**_

Die. dIe. diE. dIE. **DiE. dIe. **_**DIE.**_

I was once known as Saber. Now I am pain?

No, that isn't right. Maybe I am pain and Saber.

No, no. I am Servant Saber. I have a Master. I'm fighting for the Holy Grail.

That is why I am not pain.

Pain… The pain is fading. The hate is there, but the pain is draining away.

A cackling laughter invades my consciousness as darkness overtakes me.

Laughter quite similar to my own.

oOoOoOo

Alright, and there is chapter five. Sorry if the narratives get confusing, someone mentioned I should try Saber's point of view, so I tried it. I don't much like writing her, which is why there isn't much.

You know the deal, review if you'd like, I like your feedback. Let me know if I'm doing a decent job, or I am an utter failure at life.

Also, Fate/stay Night is quickly burning me out, so I'm going to take a week or two off of writing and playing it.

Until next time,

~Kapskaen


	6. A Kidnapping? Joy

Hi, all. Kap here with another update. I'll keep my author's notes short from here on.

**Zangetsu Ossan: **Because a story about seven humans and seven otherworldly powerful beings slaughtering each other was supposed to be a light, airy story… xD Yes, though, the story will be taking a sudden turn toward the dark side. Blame my recent fascination with gory psychotic anime.

**snowxheart: **Saber turning into Alter is something I'm playing close to my chest. You'll have to read to find out. :3 Also, yes, Caster is Medea. I'll explain her use of the "Raikoho" spell in the chapter, and go more in-depth in the end author note.

**Mikey123: **Thank you!

**Epiren: **In all honesty, it is a crossover. You're the second person to point this out to me, so I'll look into relocating it to the crossover section. I put it here mainly because the only Bleach elements in the story itself are what my character brings into it. As to why Shinigami's class is called Shinigami and not a Westernized-style class, I wanted to accentuate the uniqueness of the situation. To put it bluntly, he is a class that is not supposed to exist at all. There are certain unique circumstances behind his summoning. I did honestly play with the idea of naming him Reaper, but went with the traditional Japanese name. Thanks for your review!

**Zaralann: **Thanks!

And now, chapter six.

Disclaimer: Fanfiction user Kapskaen does not, and never will, own Fate/stay Night or Bleach.

oOoOoOo

Fate/Death Night

Chapter Six: Ascension

"**You underestimated her."**

The deep, rumbling voice yanked me from my thoughts.

"So you've said. Multiple times now. Is there a point to your observation?"

A fearsome growl echoed across the frozen landscape. **"Spare me your impunity, brat. It is not my fault we are in this situation."**

Ah, yes. My situation. Since losing consciousness after rescuing Saber from whatever the Hell that shadow had been, I had been brought to the innermost depths of my being. The core of my power, and where the most fearsome part of me resided.

Said fearsome part was currently bitching at me for losing.

"No, I'll admit that much. I did underestimate her, and I paid for it immediately. I let my anger cloud my judgment, and it cost me the right side of my chest. You don't have to keep telling me this, Hyoshini. I'm quite aware of it, myself."

I glared at the avatar of my power, an impressive feat in and of itself. Hyoshini himself stood over thirty feet tall, and was quite a fearsome sight to behold.

Glaring down a dragon was more intimidating than you can believe.

Hyoshini was stocky and muscular, accented more by his enormous size. His scales were of the deepest sapphire, and the spines and ridges that covered his head, neck, back, and wings were composed of wicked shards of ice.

The fact that I could even glare in the general direction of a being like that was pride-inducing.

A snort answered my previous statement. **"You were holding back the entirety of that fight. Had you taken the magus seriously, she would have been a smear of paste on the battlefield. Instead of using me to my fullest potential, you attempted to match her spell for spell. You are not a magician, wielder. You are a Shinigami, and your strengths lie as such."**

I kneaded my forehead with my knuckles. "What would you have me do, Hyoshini? Threaten my existence and my chance of winning by putting everything I had into one attack? And as for using you to your fullest potential, I had _allies_ out there. A reckless use of _Bankai_ would have resulted in my destruction and their deaths. You know as well as I do that our _Bankai_ is nothing to be taken lightly. Humans such as Rin and Shirou would have been overwhelmed in an instant."

My reasoning seemed to work, as Hyoshini's anger subsided. He almost seemed pensive now.

"**That woman…"**

I nodded, knowing what he was talking about. "Ah, I know. It surprised me at first, but now that I think about it, what she used was not _Raikoho._ A passable imitation, yes, but it had no reiatsu in it. It was pure magical energy, nothing more."

"**That is troubling. Even if she is ignorant of the Shinigami Arts, being able to reproduce a Kido on sheer talent…"**

I frowned. I already had my theories on how she had recreated such a flawless Kido. It would not be unreasonable for a Caster-class Servant to have such an innate grasp of magic as to interpret and understand all types of spellwork, regardless of origin. Servants of the Caster class have always been mages of beyond-extraordinary talent.

The fact that she copied a Hado is not my greatest concern. Surely she had more offensive spells of greater power than _Raikoho_ or even _Soren Sokatsui._ As unfortunate as it is, every Hado I have used thus far has probably been added into her repertoire of available magic.

But the Bakudo I have used pose a much greater threat. _Rikujokoro_ is a high enough binding spell that it would give even myself, a master of the technique, a few seconds pause to rid myself of it. Thankfully my use of Bakudo has been relatively low, so _Rikujokoro _and _Kakushitsuijaku _should be the only ones she has seen.

The threat this poses is the limits to what Kido I can use while Caster still draws breath. I cannot risk her learning any more devastating new magic than what she has already gleaned from spying on me, so that limits my spellwork to techniques that I have already used.

I sigh. Troublesome.

"**It seems that your allies are trying to rouse you."**

I glance at Hyoshini, feeling the tug on my consciousness as he points it out.

"**Do we have anything more to discuss?"**

I shake my head in the negative. "No. Sorry for inconveniencing you. And sorry for losing."

As I felt myself being pulled from Hyoshini's plane, his chuckle reached my ears.

"**Do not worry, young one. It will not happen again."**

oOoOoOo

My reentry into the realm of consciousness is more unpleasant than I care to admit.

The right side of my chest feel like someone shattered it to pieces and glued them back all wrong.

In an overwhelming fit of genius, I try to sit up. I _immediately_ regret the decision. The lance of pain that shoots through me forces an incoherent groan of agony from my lips.

"I knew you were an idiot, but you're quickly reaching Shirou's level of stupidity."

I settle myself back onto my back and don't even bother opening my eyes. I identified the person in the room through the sheer amount of blatant sarcasm dripping from her voice. "Good morning to you too, Rin."

A sigh. "Do you have any idea how close you came to dying? I had to use three A-level jewels worth of magical energy just to stabilize you. _Three._ I'm holding you personally responsible. What kind of idiot drains nearly every ounce of power from their bodies when they're _bleeding to death?_"

I crack one eye open and look directly at her. She's leaning against the door of my room, glaring daggers at me. I can't help but smile at her. "Compared to the other options I had, it was the most preferable."

I then notice the state she's in. Dark bags under her eyes, rumpled, dirty clothes, drooping eyelids… She's exhausted. "Rin… what…-"

"You've been unconscious for two days. Since I'm the only one who knows how to treat you, I've had to be here constantly."

Two days? She stayed here looking after me for two days? "…Why didn't you just let me die? I'm not your Servant, Rin." Speaking of… "Where is Saber? Is she okay?"

Rin slumped against the wall, absently rubbing her hands against her eyes. "Answering your questions in order, you're an ally. I'm not some heartless scum who lets her allies die. As for Saber…" She shook her head. "She's still unconscious. Whatever that stuff was, it's done something to her not just on the outside, but the inside as well."

So I was right. It was a poison. Troubling.

"Go take care of her, Rin. I'll be fine now."

She shook her head. "That's just it! Physically, she's in perfect condition! She doesn't even have any scratches! There's nothing I can do for her… I'm effectively stumped."

Most troubling indeed.

oOoOoOo

Rin finally decided to excuse herself, but before she left, I got her to set up a boundary field inside my room that would prevent spying. I had no way to know if it would stop a magus with Caster's ability, but it made me feel a little more secure.

My reiatsu had replenished itself while I was indisposed, but my magical energy was dangerously low from the _shunpo_ stunt I had pulled. I meditated, going through the process of converting reiatsu to the rarer energy.

Now, for my chest. From what I can tell, the majority of the wound has healed. Rin did an exemplary job treating me, which is good because my knowledge of healing Kido is disgustingly limited.

I've always been the type of guy who thought explosions were cooler than knitting wounds.

Regardless, I channeled a small amount of reiatsu into my palm, going through the motions of the spell in my head. The difficult part of healing spells was intent.

Suffice it to say; trying to heal a wound while thinking something like oh say, "Blow up," would be severely counterproductive.

My hand took on a light green glow, and I pressed it immediately to the wounded area of my chest, hissing in pain at first. Such a rudimentary spell wouldn't have done much on a fresh wound, but with Rin's treatment and the fact that the bones and organs affected by the attack seemed to have knit properly, the rest of the damage could be healed sufficiently.

It took longer than expected, but finally the sense of pain was replaced with a feeling of relief, and I hauled myself into a full sitting position, twisting and turning my torso and right arm.

A little tight and sore, but otherwise functional. Rin knows her stuff, that's for sure.

I rose to my feet and glanced around the room, spotting Hyoshini leaning against the wall near the door, and the ragged remains of the top of my uniform lying bunched up in a corner.

Oh well, it would have to be replaced later. I unwrapped the bandages around my chest and picked up Hyoshini, absently running the fingers of my right hand over the large puckered scar that was now prominent there.

I hung my sword over my bare back, the hilt peeking over my right shoulder as was normal, and walked out of my room.

I need to talk to Rin and Shirou, but that can wait… I also need to see Saber.

Thankfully, her room was just down the hall.

I slid in silently, as not to wake her, and knelt by her side. Rin was right, that mud had had a drastic effect on the fair swordswoman.

Her blankets were pulled down to her stomach, for treatment I imagine. She was dressed in the conservative normal clothes she wore outside of battle, though the sleeve on her right arm had been completely torn off, as had the left shoulder.

Red markings and incredibly pallid skin marred the entirety of her right arm, left shoulder and side of her neck, the right side of her chin, and a swath of her face, from her right eye to her right ear.

It seemed that whatever damage _Haien_ had caused had been healed. Though I had passed out before I could terminate the spell, it seems either Rin or Shirou had removed its effects quickly enough.

The poison did not seem to be spreading, but the effects of its contamination were blatantly obvious. While not physical wounds, Saber could just as well carry around these blemishes for the rest of her life.

I stood. "I don't know what that thing was, Saber. I don't know what its true power is, nor where its intent lies." I turned and walked to the door. "But as a man, a fellow Servant, and a brother-in-arms, I do know this. When next we meet, that shadow will die."

On those words I left her sleeping, and shut the door behind me.

oOoOoOo

Rin was not in the kitchen when I arrived, so I assume she had retreated to her room for some much-needed rest.

With nothing better to do, I walked outside toward the shed where I sensed my Master's energy fluctuating. Since our contract was created, I could count the times we had talked on one hand, using less than half the fingers there.

I slid the door open to see my Master kneeling on the ground, concentrating. From the various scattered items in front of him, some of them hopelessly broken, it seemed he was practicing his magic.

I didn't wait long. There was a pop, and the glass jar in front of him shattered into pieces. He sighed, then opened his eyes to stare at the mess.

"I'm surprised you aren't with Saber." He started, apparently not knowing I was watching him, and turned to look at me.

"Shinigami! Should you be up and walking around? …And why aren't you wearing a shirt?"

I smirked at his deadpan delivery of his last observation. "Rin's treatment was a complete success. I'm still a little sore, but I'm almost completely healed."

Shirou nodded once. "And your shirt?"

"Ragged, bloodstained, and probably next in line for immolation once I see it again."

"I see. Well in the meantime, you can borrow one of mine until we can get you some more clothes."

I nodded. "Aye, Master. So, back to what I was saying…"

Shirou's face lit up in a blush and he looked to the side. "I just left, actually. She didn't seem to be sick, so there was no need for me to watch over her anymore."

I frowned a little at that. "She may not be physically sick, but something is still wrong with her. Go watch over her, Shirou. You may not be her Master, but I know she will appreciate the gesture."

I turned to leave. From behind me, I heard Shirou ask, "…She will?"

I shrugged and kept walking. "I would."

"And put a shirt on, would you? It's cold outside…"

I laughed out loud and walked off. Cold. It had been ages since anything cold had ever bothered me. Part of my soul was essentially an ice elemental. I don't get cold.

One more person I needed to talk to, and once again I had to thoroughly search the area for her energy. Damn stealth capabilities. I scowled and leapt to the roof in one quick bound, stalking towards my target.

"Shinigami."

"Rider. I have a question for you."

She didn't even turn to look at me. "You are going to ask why I did not help with the assault on Caster."

She must take my silence as a yes, because after a moment she continues. "My orders are to protect Emiya Shirou from you and any other threat that presents itself. Had you stupidly fallen for Caster's little ploy, I would have intervened and killed you on the spot."

I scowled deeper at the blunt woman. "And it never occurred to you that eliminating Caster would have been eliminating a threat to Shirou's safety?"

"With Saber and yourself occupied in battle, Emiya Shirou would have been left unguarded had I engaged Caster. As per my orders, I stayed close to him and out of sight as to prevent any surprise attacks."

I ran my hand over my face, Rider's bullheaded loyalty beginning to wear on my nerves. "Do you have no concept of the term 'alliance,' Rider?"

Her voice was cool and clipped. "I am no ally of yours, Servant Shinigami. There will come a time when, despite my best efforts, Emiya Shirou will die. When that time comes, if you are still alive, you will be without a Master and my enemy. I will defeat you and bring victory to my Master."

My face grew steely. "We shall see, Rider."

oOoOoOo

The day passed, and finally Rin rejoined the world of the living, stumbling into the living room around lunch like a member of the walking undead.

Shirou, on a break from his bedside vigil of Saber, left to town to get groceries for lunch and dinner. I volunteered to go with him, but he shook me off, saying Rin and Saber needed a guard in the off chance Caster attempted an assault on the house.

I protested, but in the end his logic was too solid, and he left with the promise that he would go straight there and come straight back.

That had been six hours ago.

I was standing silent watch next to Rider on the roof now, though I knew something was wrong.

Shirou's reiatsu was no longer anywhere in the city. He wasn't dead, I would have felt that through our bond, but he was no longer anywhere in the range of my senses.

"You know a Master or Servant has taken him."

"Aye."

"What will you do?"

"I could ask you that same question, Rider. Wasn't it your job to protect him, as well as mine?"

The woman was silent. I sighed. "There are only a handful of places he could have been taken. I am fairly certain that Caster does not have him, despite the evidence. There are no traces of his energy in or around the temple. I believe he has been taken to the forest on the other side of the city, though I do not know the Master or Servant involved."

I looked at her fully, serious despite the disagreement we had earlier. "I ask you to stay here, Rider. I know what your orders entail, but I also need someone to give the message to Rin. Specifically, an hour after I am gone. Once the message is delivered, I need someone to keep both her and Saber here, if the latter wakes up."

Her facial expression never changed. "And why would I have a reason to stay out of this fight? Much less keep follow your instructions?"

I scowled and turned my gaze back to the city in the distance. "Because if my guess is correct, then I will be forced to fight with all of my capacity. Saber could withstand my full power. Maybe even you. But Rin and Shirou will certainly die if they get caught up in my fight."

She scoffed slightly. "The humans might be affected, but you think you have the power to threaten a Servant to that certainty?"

I closed my eyes and sighed. "Let me tell you a story, Rider. Once upon a time, there was an Organization. Heading this organization were thirteen beings granted the rank of Captain. Each Captain had differing abilities, but all had one thing in common. The plateau of strength that they stood on was beyond even your wildest imagination. One such Captain had a previous disagreement with his subordinates, causing an uprising. Five hundred men and his Lieutenant betrayed him, attempting to rid him of his rank."

"...And what happened?"

"The battle lasted hardly three minutes. By the time it was over, there were five-hundred-and one corpses decorating the field."

"So the Captain was killed."

"…The Captain walked away from the battle unscathed, and without a single drop of blood on his person."

I felt Rider's gaze on me even through her blindfold. "And you tell me this, why?"

"…Because there is not a day that goes by that I do not regret slaying those men. It may have been hundreds of years, Rider, but I am still a Captain-level shinigami. My battles are not something to trifle in."

She was silent for a long while. "…I will distract them for the time being. Try to recover your Master in that time."

No more words were needed. I took a running leap off the roof and landed in the street below at full sprint.

Rin is going to be _pissed_ when she finds out I left without her.

oOoOoOo

After a good thirty minute run at full speed, I was standing at the edge of the woods.

I know now why I never bothered to investigate this place. Since I never felt even an ounce of reiatsu emanate from here, I had assumed that the edge of this forest was as far a range as my sensing abilities had.

But now, standing at the very edge of the ominous wood, I could sense nothing. Not even the ambient reiatsu that every living thing produced.

It was as if the whole forest was dead.

I knew who this forest concealed. There was only one Servant it could possibly be.

Once I stepped inside the bounds of this forest, the Servant Berserker would become my enemy. I sighed softly. I really hate it when my assumptions are correct.

'_Let your heart grow cold. Bury your thoughts in a tomb of ice.'_ Teachings that I learned so long ago flit through my mind.

I have nothing to fear. There is only one enemy. My gaze hardens, and I stride into the dead forest, its limbs reaching out to welcome me.

oOoOoOo

To say that I am mad could quite possibly be the understatement of the millennia.

I get mad when I don't make quite the grade I would like on a test. I get mad when delivery men take longer than thirty minutes to arrive. I get _mad_ when I can't seem to find the property of whatever it is I'm currently researching.

So when if that's what it means to say that I am mad, I do so wonder what I feel when I am told that a certain bullheaded idiot Servant, whom I wasted more than two fortunes on, figuratively and literally, keeping him from the brink of death has rushed off on his own on a suicidal rescue mission.

I don't think there is a word to describe how _furious _I am right now.

I smile at Rider. "So you mean to tell me that he threatened you to keep Saber and myself in this house on pain of death?"

Rider, to her credit, didn't flinch or stutter once, though her body language displayed a hint of sheepishness. "No. He merely explained the extent of his power and convinced me that it would be in all of our best interests to wait here until he returned with Emiya Shirou."

My smile widened even more. Rider began to fidget. "Nonsense. He told you a story of an impossibly powerful being slaughtering impossible odds without being harmed, and then implied that he _was_ said impossibly powerful being. You felt _threatened,_ so you _stayed behind_."

"A-ah. Yes, t-that might have been the case."

I stood from where I was sitting at the living room table. "Good. I see, then. I believe I'm going to go murder him now. You can come with me or you can watch over Saber, the choice is yours."

Without waiting for her answer, I walked to the phone and called a taxi. I had just enough money on me to afford a drive to the other side of the city, and a fair amount of jewels. The idiot didn't give me a good enough opportunity to prepare, but once Shirou didn't return home, I had suspected the worst.

I figured that Shinigami would go off on his own to save him. I may not have been around him for very long, but it's just like him.

Shirou and his Servant were way too alike for my sanity to tolerate.

I sighed and settled down to wait. This really wasn't how I expected my night to go.

oOoOoOo

The forest was gigantic. I walked for about half an hour, then started flash-stepping in the direction I thought the center of the forest was in. After two hours of flash-travel and jumping from tree limb to tree limb, though, I arrived at my destination.

A giant, secluded mansion. How… cliché.

I stood on a high branch, gathering information. For whatever reason, my senses still did not work here. It could be a boundary field, or it could be that the forest itself is an actual, living Dead Zone. The reason didn't matter, but I could not sense Shirou, Berserker, nor Berserker's little Master.

I was officially blinded, in a spiritual sense. It's been ages since my senses have been tampered with.

"Blind" though I may be, I was far from charging to my death blindly. So I watched, and I waited. There had been shadows moving in lit windows, so I knew there was some form of life in the mansion. Nothing huge, hulking, and/or in a violent rage, so I assumed Berserker was currently dozing or, in the worst case, guarding Shirou.

Wait… The front door opened. Lo and behold, there they are. The little Master came out first, and sure enough, following her was Berserker's lumbering form. The little girl looked around for a couple of seconds, then motioned to her Servant to follow, and they both entered the woods.

If I believed in luck, I'd say this is my lucky day. But there's no such thing as luck. Something's not right here. If the little girl had gone out of her way to kidnap Shirou, why in the hell is she leaving?

I frown to myself. Always with the questions.

I have a limited amount of time. On the odd chance that this isn't a trap, now may be the only chance I get. After glancing around my surroundings once more, I leap off the branch and onto the grounds of the mansion.

I rush to the front door, a mere blur to human eyes, and enter stealth mode. The sun had set well over an hour ago, so my black outfit would help me blend into the shadows, hopefully. Though, not for the first time in my life, I cursed having white hair.

I opened the door and slid in, ducking into a shadowed alcove on the left side. I took one step forward, and like a waterfall hitting me, was assaulted by a deluge of senses. Apparently whatever magic was blocking my senses outside didn't apply in here. This was good, but it took me more than a minute to orient myself.

In the barrage of unfamiliar senses, it was rather easy to pick out Shirou's reiatsu a floor above me.

I began using small flash steps, conserving as much energy as possible, but trying to make the best possible time.

I reached the second floor and rounded the corner, only to drop to my knees and roll away from the iron poker sailing for my head.

"Shinigami!" Well, that voice sounds familiar… I glanced up, and there he was, standing with the poker still extended from his swing.

"Shirou. I thought you might need help breaking out, but it seems that you're doing just fine on your own."

He put on a sufficiently sheepish look for a moment before asking, "Hey, if you're here, does that mean that Tohsaka is as well?"

I shook my head in the negative. "I may or may not have… neglected… to tell her that I was coming." My gaze went steely for a second. "I fear I may have doomed us both."

He looked alarmed at my grave look, then chuckled. "So what's the plan? I only just left Ilya's room, so I don't know exactly what's going on."

I shrugged. "Well, the general plan is for us to get the hell out of here. Honestly, by now I expected I would have had to fight someone, so I was planning on blowing up sections of the house until I found you, but it's been suspiciously quiet around here for an enemy stronghold."

Shirou's eyebrows shot up into his hairline. "Shit! I forgot, Ilya is taking Berserker to my house right now! She's going to kill Tohsaka and Saber!"

Well that's news to me. Triple shit. "Then it looks like we don't have much time to waste. Give me your arm." He held it out and I slung it over my shoulder. "Hold on, and don't puke. This will get a little disorienting."

I lashed out at the nearest window, shattering it, and leapt onto the sill, then jumped into a flash step, landing at the edge of the woods. To Shirou's credit, he didn't puke, but he did wobble around for a second, looking unnecessarily green.

"Master. We need to go. The enemy has a major head start, and I cannot waste any more reiatsu on _shunpo _if I am going to have to fight." He nodded, and using nothing more than determination, pushed his nausea aside.

Oh yeah. Definitely related to Ichigo…

We started running through the woods at an easy pace, both for Shirou's comfort and the fact that we had no idea how much of a lead that Berserker had on us.

After almost a solid hour, Shirou had to stop. To be honest, I was impressed. Not many humans could match the pace of a Servant even for a short while. He may be young, but he has steel in him.

Admirable, in a way.

While he was catching his breath, though, I noticed something. The forest was no longer dead. There was noise everywhere, almost like a roar…

My eyes widened in shock and horror. That wasn't the forest. "Shirou, get behind me!"

Hyoshini sang as it flew free from its sheath, cutting a majestic arc through the air. At the same time, a familiar form in red burst into the small clearing we had settled in, running as though the devil itself was after her.

That was not an incorrect analogy.

An enraged roar announced the giant's coming, though contrary to the insane hatred poured into the incomprehensible sound, Berserker stepped through the treeline nothing more than an immovable onyx wall.

A freezing breeze blew through the clearing as I gathered my power, and all was silent.

A leaf detached itself from a limb, oblivious to the gathering of death in the clearing. Floating a meandering pattern toward the ground, caught in gravity's inescapable grip. The breeze caught it once, blowing it across the area.

It touched the ground, and the world went to shit.

oOoOoOo

And there we have it: chapter six.

Next chapter the real fun begins, so I believe I will leave you all with a small teaser.

My eyes fixated, and my skin felt the numerous impacts of frost against rime, the storm blowing air of bone-chilling teeth.

"I dedicate this to those I betrayed. My world is gone, and thus comes my punishment. Behold, Berserker. Your sky grows dim."

Let me know what you all think. For now, I need to get some sleep. u.u

Until next time,

~Kapskaen


	7. And So the Plot Thickens

Righto. I'm back with chapter seven, which has been a right bitch to write, but I'm gonna shut up with the excuses and just get on with it. I've also had it pointed out to me that people don't seem to like seeing review answers at the beginning of a chapter, so I'm going to stop doing them in chapters, and will instead answer them via PM, if possible.

Disclaimer: I don't own Fate/stay night or Bleach. Don't sue me, because I'm too lazy to deal with something like that. I also don't own the song "Darkness Within" by Machine Head. There are no direct quotes of the song, or even references, but this chapter was heavily influenced by it. Better safe than sorry. I'm talking to you, shitheads in Eliminator.

oOoOoOo

There was a moment of complete silence that overcame the small clearing, broken only by the pounding of Rin's feet and her frantic breathing.

Even Berserker was silent in his insanity as he walked out of the choking overgrowth.

The light, tinkling laughter of his master echoed as she too stepped out of the darkness.

"How convenient. I was afraid I was going to have to hunt down all of you." The cold smile on her face stretched a bit wider. "Now I can just kill you all in one place and get it over with."

Then she apparently noticed something, as she blinked in confusion. "Wait. Where is Saber?"

I glanced quickly at Rin, who gave an almost imperceptible shake of her head. She's still out, her eyes told me.

"She's waiting for us ahead. We were about to meet up before we were so… rudely interrupted."

Ilyasviel's eyes narrowed. Apparently she didn't appreciate the glib tone of my voice. "I don't think so. I'd know if she was here. So you're obviously lying."

Damn. I forgot about this being her turf. "Who knows if I am? What if she is, you think your Berserker there can handle the both of us at once? I seem to recall scaring you off once already, that attack of his almost tickled." I was lying through my teeth, of course. I could still feel the phantom throbbing of my shattered bones.

The little girl glared at me, emitting a little 'fuuuu' sound that would have almost been cute in another circumstance. "That was a fluke! Berserker, kill him!"

I launched myself forward just as the monster roared and did the same. Our blades met in the middle of the clearing, the resulting shockwave dislodging a nearby tree of every leaf on it.

I strained heavily against the beast, reinforcing every inch of my body with as much reiatsu as I could spare, and was still losing ground quickly. He was just too physically strong to match like this. Before I could disengage the lock we were in and try a different tactic, however, another roar sounded and suddenly I was flying through the air.

I impacted on the tree that our initial clash had stripped bare, and flew through it, landing in a heap in front of Shirou and Rin. I felt the distinct trickle of blood running down the back of my head as I scrambled to my feet. Whatever shock had frozen the two hadn't yet worn off it, it seemed.

"Oi, get outta here you two. You're in my way."

Rin bristled slightly, before here eyes widened in shock. "Shin-!" I had already spun around and caught Berserker's blade once again, this time deflecting it to the side.

"Dammit, Shirou! Rin! Get the hell out of here!"

I unleashed a flurry of blows upon Berserker, all of which were deflected or bounced harmlessly off his skin, but the distraction was enough for the two to start running as I was sent flying once again.

I righted myself in the air, landing lightly on my feet with Hyoshini held out to my side. I couldn't help but sigh once.

"…_Ten wo Tojiro, Hyoshini._"

The ice gauntlet encased my arm once again as my Shikai took affect, and I glared at Berserker for only a moment.

Then I charged headfirst into my inevitable death.

oOoOoOo

Elsewhere, however, a different battle was waged. Twisting shadows writhed and twitched as the combatants raged at each other.

However pitched the battle, though, as with all conflicts, one must fall for the other to claim victory. In the unnatural darkness that invaded this town, a figure appeared. To the normal passerby, their form would be unassuming, inconsequential.

But as she set off towards her destination, the one who would be called Servant Saber smirked to herself, her yellow eyes gleaming with hatred and malice.

She felt it; deep in her soul. The call of battle was too much for her to resist. The thrill of slaughter too much to contain. As she marched toward the dead forests where two behemoths clashed, she couldn't help an almost giddy laugh.

Soon enough, her thirst would be quenched. Soon enough, this land would be bathed in the blood of all who stood before her.

oOoOoOo

I pulled the stubborn woman behind me as fast as I could through the dense forest, ignoring every complaint she voiced along the way.

Tohsaka might be oblivious, but I saw Shinigami's face as he fought that monster. He didn't want us there.

"Shirou! Let me go! We can help him, it's not too late!"

I only tightened my grip on her hand and continued hauling her down the path. "Shirou! Damn it, let me-"

"Be quiet, Tohsaka," I snapped. "Didn't you see what I saw? We were hurting him by being there! Just pay attention! I can still _feel _the fight from here, can't you?"

She was silent, probably shocked that I snapped at her. "Look, I hate leaving him back there as much as you do. I may not know him well, but he's my Servant. But I just have this feeling that if we had stayed there, no matter what, we would have died."

I had never felt like this before. All my life I had gone out of my way to help others, trying to be there for people who needed my help. Never had I felt as outclasses as I had in the presence of those two warriors.

Tohsaka stiffened suddenly, then slid to a stop. I turned around to face her. "Tohsaka, what- ah!" She was hunched over at the waist, desperately scrabbling at her right hand and arm, her face scrunched up and her mouth open in a soundless cry of pain.

"Tohsaka? What's wrong?! Tohsaka!"

Then, just as quickly as her fit happened, it ended. She took one confused glance at her right hand, and then looked at me. "Shirou…" She promptly collapsed to the ground.

"Tohsaka! Hey, Tohsaka!" I kneeled by her side, shaking her shoulder in an attempt to wake her up. "Come on, Tohsaka! Get up, come on, get up! Rin! Wake up!"

It was no use. She was out cold, and there was no way I was going to be able to carry her out the rest of the way out of this forest. I cast a desperate eye at my surroundings, catching a shape out of the corner of my vision. It was an old ramshackle building, forgotten, and somewhat hidden by the trees. I looked at it, then glanced at Rin's unconscious form, and sighed.

Today could have gone better.

oOoOoOoOo

I climbed to my feet once again, the lacerations across my entire body throbbing simultaneously.

The pain was almost enough to make me fall over and die. Almost.

My vision was swimming precariously, making me wonder exactly how much blood I had lost in the process of getting my ass handed to me.

Berserker paced in front of me like a predator about to come in for the kill, and I forced my heavy arms to hold Hyoshini in front of me somewhat defensively. The beast's muscles tensed, and I braced myself for his assault, before, his small Master's voice rang out.

"Wait, Berserker. Someone is coming."

It took my muddled mind a few seconds to process that, before anger began to bleed through my body. If Rin or Shirou was on their way back already, I am going to kill them…

Ilyasviel spoke again. "I don't know who it is, but they're coming fast. Finish this pest, Berserker. I want to go greet our new guest."

I tensed once again, shakily trying to prepare a defense as Berserker rushed me. I deflected his first strike, ducked under the next, and sidestepped the third, but was caught unaware by the vicious backhand he gave me, and for what must have been the hundredth time over the course of the fight, I was once again airborne.

However, a painful impact with the ground was not what greeted me. Berserker grabbed caught up with my flying form as though I was not moving at all, and caught me by the leg, yanking me toward him. The sudden change in direction sent Hyoshini flying from my suddenly nerveless fingers, and I found myself caught in the giant's grasp, his hand tightening slowly over my neck and chest.

With what strength I could manage, I pummeled uselessly against his arm, shoulder, and face, and even managed to get off a weak Byakurai, but I quickly realized that it was a wasted effort. Nothing I could do would get this Servant to release me. I was going to die here, crushed to a pulp by his god-like strength.

I had almost resigned myself to my fate, and had even started voicing a cliché apology in my head when an absolutely MASSIVE blast of the darkest, yet paradoxically brightest, energy I had ever seen rocketed through the small clearing, connected with the outstretched arm that held me.

What was even more surprising was the fact that the light completely severed said arm.

During the short battle, what little amount of fight I had put up had only caused superficial cuts and nicks on Berserker's armor-like flesh. Despite how many blows I had taken to the head and my extreme blood loss, for that matter, it was not lost on me just how powerful that blast had been.

Nor was it lost on me exactly what it was. That had been a Noble Phantasm, unleashed.

I hit the ground hard, hacking as I tried to fill my lungs of air that had been slowly being crushed out of me, before turning my gaze to the treeline where the blast had originated.

If I hadn't already been coughing, I would have choked.

It was Saber. Saber was standing there, her now-visible blade still held where she had swung it to release her strike.

Only it wasn't Saber. Whatever abomination this was oozed the same wrongness that the shadow at Ryudou Temple had.

For a split second, the moon broke through the tree canopy, and I saw Saber's face. The strange red markings that symbolized her infection by that poison were pulsing like a living entity, and her almost luminescent yellow eyes screamed malice.

This was not the Saber I knew.

Not-Saber straightened, her face a mask of complete impassiveness, and then she simply vanished, appearing directly before Berserker, her sword a blur of motion as she attacked again.

I blinked. Then blinked again. This imposter had just used a rudimentary flash step. Which meant… this Saber was really the same Saber that I had given basic lessons to.

I painstakingly gained my feet, then flashed over to Hyoshini and picked the blade up, preparing to join the fray myself.

I was almost completely unprepared by the black blade that was suddenly swinging toward my head. I brought Hyoshini up in a desperate block, and met Saber's eyes.

"Don't interfere."

As I stood there dumbfounded, she disengaged the lock and vanished once again to viciously attack Berserker, who was actually being put on the defensive.

Just what in the hell was going on here?

I watched as this new Saber systematically disassembled a Servant that I stood no chance against. It almost hurt my pride a bit. Granted, I had been holding back quite a lot by only using Shikai, but the point of my engagement was to delay Berserker, not scare him off and have him chasing weaker targets. Rin and Shirou, specifically.

I glanced to my left, where Ilyasviel was watching the vicious beating her Servant was taking, and began to approach her. Seeing my movement, she stiffened in fear, her mouth opening to no doubt summon her Servant to her side, but I held up a hand to silence her.

"Relax. I'm in no shape to bother with fighting a magus." I glanced toward the fight once again, watching as Saber viciously yanked her sword out of Berserker's chest for the third time.

"Call Berserker off. Take this chance to run. I'll distract Saber." What the hell am I doing?!

Ilyasviel's gaze showed me that she was wondering the same thing that I was.

"That's not Saber. Well… it is, but it isn't. Something's wrong, and I intend to find out what. I can't exactly do that if I have your Servant breathing down my neck."

Still surprised, and slightly doubtful-looking, she nodded once.

"Ilyasviel. I expect you to retreat while I deal with this issue. If you go hunting down my Master and Rin, no amount of struggling from that baying monster you call a Servant will stop me from butchering you. This is not a threat, it is a promise."

A flicker of irritation passed over her features, but I spoke again, my voice deadly quiet. "What I fought Berserker with today was merely one-tenth of the extent of my power. If you waste this chance and break this deal, I will never stop hunting you. Now go."

The girl's face went pale as she processed the implications of my statement. "Berserker! We're leaving!"

Quick as a flash, the hulking Servant had appeared by his Master and scooped her up, fleeing into the woods. Saber made to follow, but I stepped into her path, blocking the way.

"I warned you not to interfere."

I smirked at her. "I have a problem with people telling me what to do."

"Move, Shinigami. I will not ask you again."

I forced my battered body into a defensive position. I was not an idiot. Unless I could snap Saber back to her senses, I was more than likely going to die here tonight. Saber could best me in swordplay in her sleep, and I've taken a hell of a beating.

"What is going on, Saber?"

Her voice was bland, her face still expressionless aside from the malice that oozed from her eyes. "Nothing is wrong. I am achieving victory in this war for my Master. Now move, or I will kill you."

I glared at her. So even apparently possessed, the woman was still a stubborn cow with a stick up her ass. "You are not Saber, imposter. I want to know what the hell is going on with you."

A sadistic grin stretched across her face. "Not Saber? Of course I am. I'm everything Saber wishes she could be. I'm her strength, her will to fight, her undying thirst for the blood of her enemies. I am her _power._"

I had to physically restrain myself from reacting. No wonder I was so suspicious of this creature… she reminded me a certain substitute shinigami. She reminded me of a Hollow.

"I will not let you pass, Hollow. If that is truly what you are, I will cut you down where you stand."

A flicker of annoyed confusion passed over the swordswoman's face. "What nonsense are you spouting? Hollow?"

As soon as she said that, though, her eyes went wide and she clutched her head, screaming. I noticed a rapid changing of color in her eyes, from green to yellow the back to green, before they finally settled on green. She looked at me, startled.

"Shini…gami… what… where… am I…?"

Then she crumpled to the ground, completely unconscious.

I watched, confused, then summarized my thoughts in my head.

What in the actual fuck?

I sighed to myself, sheathing my blade, then picked the unconscious swordswoman up and slung her over my shoulder, then bent to pick up her blade as well.

Might as well start catching up to Shirou and Rin. They'd want answers as well.

As I was swallowed up by the darkness of the treeline, I couldn't help the sinking feeling in my chest that everything was going to go downhill from here.

oOoOoOo

And there we have it; chapter seven. Sorry it took so long to get to you guys. I have no time anymore. Between getting ready for boot camp, work, and getting writer's blocks, it's hard to sit down and write at length.

Anyway, excuses aside, I have something I want to say. I don't rant much on here, but bear with me.

Alright everyone, I don't rage much about this site. In fact, I enjoy spending great amounts of time here. However, a group has come to my attention that makes me seriously consider cutting my ties with and leaving FFnet. This group, Eliminator, is nothing but a bunch of fucking asshole piece of shit bullies that think they are the reigning police of FFnet. They do nothing but trawl the site, hunting the hard work of other people, spamming them with "warning," spam reviews about so-called "violations," these authors made, all the while blatantly ignoring the Bullying/Harassment rule of the ToS they revere. It's ignorant, and it's bullshit, and cannot be allowed to happen. Email support, report THEM, if that's what it takes. Give FFnet back to the authors.

I cannot and will not condone people who think they are gods of a website simply because they think they can. These people are not mods. They do not have the power of mods. Instead, they exploit the reporting system to meet the ends that they set. It is a blatant violation of the "No Harassment/Bullying" rule, and the majority of this group is completely hostile and rude to anyone who does not share this belief. This website does not belong to them. Don't let them assume they control what is able to be posted on here. That is a job for mods, not wannabe flamers who consider themselves internet badasses because they can leave mean comments on a story. Do the right thing, guys.

I'll leave you with that. See you guys next chapter.

~Kapskaen


	8. Kōri no Kami

Hey all. Just a quick note. If anyone is interested in drawing their representation of Shinigami, Hyoshini, or any and all characters that appear in this fic, do let me know! I would love to see them, and I'd love to create a section of my profile dedicated to fanart, or even have one to use for my cover photo! Just shoot me a PM if you're interested!

I am on Tumblr! Follow .com for updates on Fate/Death Night, or to talk/yell at me about how much you love/hate the story!

Disclaimer: I do not own Fate/stay Night or Bleach, only my original character and any storyline deviations come from my own head.

oOoOoOo

Fate/Death Night

Chapter Eight: Kōri no Kami

I hurt.

I honestly do not believe that there are words to describe the terrible state I am in. Every step I take sends jarring bolts of agony through every inch of my body, and what vision I have left is slowly being ringed by darkness.

I shift Saber's weight on my shoulder, hissing at the fresh wave of pain that flashes through me at the slight movement, and cursing myself for getting into this sorry shape.

Berserker can't pull punches like I was.

I stumble over a root and curse again. I can't go on much longer. I need to rest and try to heal as many of my wounds as I can before I pass out.

I lean heavily against a nearby tree, looking around me as best I can, but there is no safe shelter in sight. I growl and start to push forward once again, but something catches my eye.

Footsteps decorate the ground to my left. Two pairs, on of them easily identifiable as male, the other substantially lighter.

Shirou and Rin. It has to be.

Grasping my hold on consciousness stubbornly, I set out again, intent on following their trail.

About a hundred feet out, though, Shirou's footsteps stopped by a strange scuffed area of soil, and Rin's stopped completely. Did something happen? I glanced around, but Rin's footsteps never reappeared. Were they attacked?

I threw another glance around, but the area showed no other signs of a struggle. For what must have been the thousandth time, I cursed the forest and its sensory blocking abilities.

I studied the footprints again, and caught another set veering off to the right. I blinked, and then shook my head to clear my vision up. These tracks were somehow heavier. I began to think that someone else had entered the scene and collected them both, but closer inspection revealed the same pattern as Shirou's shoes from the earlier steps.

Ah. The extra weight meant that he was most likely carrying Rin. Looking up towards the destination of the tracks, I saw what Shirou had undoubtedly beelined for.

A ramshackle old house, while beat up, would provide perfect shelter while he tried to figure out what was going on with Rin.

I reached it in moments and passed through the door with a nice subtle crash.

As I was blinking to adjust my eyes to the dust and slight darkness, I heard something WHOOSHING toward my head.

Despite my thrashed body, my instinct quickly took over. I had been using Hyoshini as a cane, so I brought it up sheath and all, caught the object under the hilt, my left hand flashing out in an open-palmed strike…

…only to stop centimeters away from the face of a thoroughly-stunned Shirou.

A sigh passed through my mouth. "This is the second time in as many hours that you've attempted to remove my head, Master… Should I be concerned?"

He sputtered for a moment in shock before fully comprehending my battered state. "Shinigami… how-"

I help up my hand. "Later. I'll explain later. For now, I need a place to put Saber. Something… strange happened, and I'd like to restrain her until I can get a few answers."

Shirou's eyes darted to the unconscious girl slung over my shoulder, worry evident in his gaze. I moved to allay his fear. "She's fine, Shirou. Just unconscious, from what I can tell. Now please, I need a place to put proper restraints on her before I pass out as well."

His gaze lingered for only a moment before he nodded. "Yeah, follow me. There's an empty room just down this hall."

I followed slowly due to my injuries, and propped Saber against the wall in the room he specified.

Thankfully I hadn't used much Kido in my fight with Berserker, so while my body was in bad shape, my reiatsu reserves were still somewhat plentiful.

I pointed my index finger at Saber, molding my power into the spell I desired before intoning, _"Bakudou no Kyu: Geki."_

A red pulse of light flashed around her and she tensed, hopefully paralyzed. I nodded to myself. One more and I would be satisfied.

Deciding to go with a stronger bind just in case Geki failed, I mustered my reserves again and chanted, _"Bakudou no Rokujuu-ichi: Rikujokoro."_

The bars of light locked in place around her and I slumped against a while, my injuries and exhaustion finally settling in. Before I could collapse, though, I ushered Shirou out and set an inverted _Kyoumon_ barrier in the doorway.

The barrier, while easily broken from the inside, was infamously difficult to break from the outside. A little trick I had learned was to 'invert' the outside and the inside, making it an especially useful confining barrier.

My Master glanced at me somewhat suspiciously. "Isn't this a little… overkill?"

I slumped against the wall of the hallway and slid down to the floor, one of my hands igniting in green to begin healing what wounds I was able to.

"I was getting thrashed, Shirou. My Shikai was barely slowing Berserker down, and its abilities are nothing to be sneezed at. I was about to die when Saber appeared…"

I looked down at the floor, deadly serious. "Saber pounded him into the ground. Not in a good way, either, and she did it absolutely _effortlessly._ I pieced together Berserker's ability. He has a separate pool of lives. I don't know how many, but he can regenerate from obviously fatal wounds, completely good as new.

I've personally taken three of those. Two in our first meeting and one more by a surprise attack in our last conflict, and look what that cost me. Saber took five. _Five. _She killed that monster five times over in a matter of moments, Shirou, and she did it like it was _nothing_ to her."

I glanced up at him, seeing the shock on his face. We both knew Saber was strong, but we also knew she wasn't that strong.

"I think you'll agree with me when I say that I'd rather be safe than sorry."

I watched him nod somewhat dumbly as I slid my hands over my various hurts, healing them until they were nothing but irritating instead of debilitating.

I finally posed a question that had been bugging me once I was finished with my major aches. "Shirou, where is Rin? I followed your footsteps here, and I saw that she apparently fell or something… Is she hurt?"

Shirou started, "Shit, that's right! She just fell unconscious all of a sudden. I think something was wrong with her Command Seals because she was clawing at them before she passed out.

I sighed, running a palm down my face. Things just can't get any easier, do they?

"She's not hurt, though? Just unconscious?" Shirou shook his head in the negative, and I glanced at the room that held Saber suspiciously. The two could be linked.

I rose to my feet sluggishly. Though I was healed, I was now bone tired and probably needed to sleep soon. "Where is she? I need to check something." Shirou gestured vaguely down the hall, and I set off, leaving him to stand watch over Saber.

Before I walked into Rin's room, though, I said, "You know, Shirou, if you feel so strongly about her, you should confront her soon. Things are heating up, and you never know what's going to happen."

I walked into the dark room smirking before he could sputter a response.

The majority of the room was bathed in shadow, but a surprisingly intact window cast the pale glow of moonlight on a tattered bedspread below it.

On said bedspread lay Rin, sleeping very fitfully. I crossed the room, a small frown crossing my features. My hand ignited in green once again, and I ran it over her body, giving it a preliminary scan for any wounds she may have accrued.

Aside from a few bumps and scratches –probably from the fall- she was fine.

Something else was bothering me though. I rolled up her sleeve and looked at the Command Sigils engraved there, my fears becoming truth.

Instead of the blood-red the sigils usually were, hers were a sickly, almost infected-looking black.

My blood went cold as I realized that whatever afflicting Saber may be affecting Rin as well.

I hopped up on the bed, sat cross-legged and placed her head in my lap, laying one hand across her forehead.

What I was about to do was stupid, risky, and could very well cause Tohsaka Rin to become a Hollow.

But if this 'poison' was anything close to what I thought it was… it was the only way to save her.

oOoOoOo

The first thing I feel after regaining consciousness is the aching in my body, like I had pushed myself through major physical exertion. I felt drained, and I knew that I had multiple pulled muscles and probably even stress fractures.

All these pains paled in comparison to the ache in my head. I groaned and attempted to cradle my aching skull, but found I couldn't move my limbs at all.

With great effort I snapped my eyes open, only to find myself resting against the wall in an unfamiliar place.

I try to move, and the pressure holding my limbs lessens somewhat, but as I look down, I see familiar beams of light jutting out of my midsection and halt my struggles immediately.

Shinigami… bound me?

I am confused for a moment, before a short memory flashes through me.

That's right… I remember seeing him in a clearing somewhere before I passed out… What happened?

As I ponder this, my head screams in agony, and I screw my eyes closed against the pain until it subsides somewhat.

As the pounding receds to a dull ache, I call out somewhat tentatively.

"H-hello? Hello?"

A slight rustling in the hall sounds before a disheveled Shirou pokes his head around the door frame.

"Saber! You're awake!"

I nod. "Yes. What is the situation?"

He frowned and waved his hand around. "Shinigami said he'd explain later… How are you? Are you hurt?"

I met his gaze coolly. "I am fine; there is nothing for you to worry about. I would like to know what is going on. Where is Shinigami? And where is my Master?"

Shirou's gaze began to drift uncomfortably, and my eyes narrowed slightly. "Shirou. Where is my Master?"

His face fell, and he sighed. "She's… Don't freak out, Saber, Shinigami's with her, but… she's unconscious. She's been out for almost half an hour now."

I tensed, anger rising in me. "I see. I would like to be freed now, Shirou."

He shook his head, frowning sadly. "I'm… sorry, Saber. I can't do that…"

I frowned. "Shirou, now is not the time. My Master may be hurt and I-"

"No, no, that's not what I mean. I haven't the faintest idea how to remove the barriers that Shinigami set up. Sorry."

My anger flared higher. "Then bring him here. I do not enjoy this, Shirou. I am not an enemy."

He shook his head again. "He went to check up on Tohsaka… If he's healing her, I don't want to interrupt him and mess something up."

The constant dismissals finally set me off, and I glared at Shirou hatefully, while the anger in my chest turned into a burning rage. "Emiya Shirou, if you do not release me from this prison, I swear that _**your death will be the most painful thing you have ever experienced.**_"

I panted slightly after I finished yelling, and stared at Shirou's stunned and slightly fearful face before comprehension settled over me.

Did… I really just say that? To Shirou, my ally?

All trace of irritation fled from me as cold fear took its place. "Wh… What is happening to me..?"

I cast a fearful look at Shirou, pleading with him, "I don't know what is wrong with me, Shirou!"

He wore a heartbreaking sorrowful face as he said, "I… don't know either, Saber…" His gaze hardened into determination shortly after. "But we'll figure this out. I promise."

I felt slightly better at his words, but the fear in my chest had seemed to settle, amd didn't seem like it would be going anywhere anytime soon.

"Thank you, Shirou… I… I believe I am going to get some rest… Please wake me when Shinigami returns."

He nodded and I shut my eyes, quickly falling into sleep despite my anxiety.

I opened them, however, and found that this dream was going to be quite unpleasant.

Standing directly across from me, grinning insanely, was a pitch-black carbon copy of myself. As she advanced on me, I found that I was once again bound in place. I could do nothing as she bore down on me.

Not even scream.

oOoOoOo

The exertion of trying to match the wavelength of my reiatsu to Rin's was becoming overwhelming. The difficulty lay in the fact that mine was immensely greater than her own, and I risked literally crushing her soul if I exerted enough force.

The second issue is that every single individual reiatsu in existence has its own distinct 'wavelength.' A certain 'vibration' unique to it and it alone. The technique I was attempting required that two people's reiatsu was matched perfectly in fluctuation, meaning that I had to physically limit how much I was exuding to the amount Rin currently released herself.

No easy task for someone of Captain-level.

The third and final obstacle was the nature of my reiatsu itself, which was infinitely more physical than the other two hurdles.

I watched as Rin exhaled a shuddering breath, the cloud of hot air turning to steam in the frigid room temperature.

Yes. If I did not synchronize with Rin soon, she would freeze to death under the nature of my reiatsu.

I was so close. I shut my eyes again, able to feel her energy by my physical connection better than I would had we been outside this cursed forest, and felt the minor fluctuations that she created naturally, manhandling my own energy into the same shape.

It was crude, unnatural, and was the reason why this technique was forbidden from use on pain of death.

It was a technique that allowed a Shinigami to enter the inner world of another being.

I had only used it once before, but it was on instinct and with a person that I understood even beyond a basic level… Not with a relative stranger that Rin was.

Once the synchronization, happened, however, oh did I know it. Not only was I aware of the link, I could even vaguely _sense _what Rin was feeling. Inhaling deeply, I closed my eyes, and succumbed to a pulling sensation that had begun tugging at me.

It was to no surprise when I awoke to find a stricken Rin on her knees, staring dejectedly at what passed for the "ground," if there even was a ground.

Everything around me was made of some sort of jewel, even the sun in the sky was a jewel glowing brightly with some kind of otherworldly light.

I sank into a squat beside Rin, and put my hand on her shoulder.

"Oi, you don't have time to be moping here, you know."

Her head snapped up in surprise, meeting my gaze almost frantically.

"Shinigami, you're he- No… You can't be here… You're just a part of this dream, aren't you?" Her head began to sink once again, and I started to wonder just what it was she had been dreaming of that had put her in such a state.

I gave her a shake. "Oh, I'm here all right. Something's happened, and I'm here to stop it before it does to you what it did to Saber."

"_**I'm interested in seeing how you do that, Shinigami."**_

I tensed as a voice spoke up directly behind me, and spun to face it.

A black, carbon-copy of Saber smirked maliciously at me from around twelve feet away.

"Saber… No. You're that thing I saw tonight in the woods." Rin glanced between me and the shade, her confusion plain on her face.

"_**Correct. You are very lucky my pathetic other half resurfaced when she did… I was so looking forward to killing you for interfering."**_ Her grin stretched even further across her face, and with a pang, I remembered an old friend who wore that same expression when we first met.

"_**Now look at you… Here you are, with nowhere to go. Wonderful job, Master, luring him to where I can finally take care of him."**_

Rin recoiled from the shade, a disgusted expression on her face. "What are you talking about? You're not going to kill him, Saber. We need his help, remember?"

The shade leered at me. _**"So you didn't tell her. We no longer need his assistance, Master. I single-handedly killed Berserker no more than five times tonight, whereas he could only kill him once at the cost of his ability to fight."**_

Rin's jaw fell open as she processed that comment, but her face steeled considerably. "That does not mean our plans change. There will be no killing of our allies."

The shade laughed, a pure insult to the action. The sound was worse than a thousand nails on a chalkboard. _**"Don't worry, Master. You'll soon see things from my view. Right after I take care of this insect."**_

Saber began to advance, her ebony sword forming out of nothing in her hand. I drew the spectral Hyoshini from its place on my back and stalked forward to meet her.

"Rin. I don't have time to explain it all, but my time here is limited. If I stay here too long, you could freeze to death from being exposed to my power, and I cannot use any techniques whatsoever in fear that your soul may become irrevocably crushed beyond all repair."

I could feel her surprise. "I suggest you call upon some of your magic to purge the both myself and this… thing before that happens."

She nodded and began to obviously concentrate as I reached the not-Saber.

The sardonic smirk was full in place on its face. _**"No techniques, eh? This will be boring, then. I won't even have to try to destroy you."**_

A solemn chanting behind me proved that my theory of Rin being a little genius was correct, and she was fixing to remedy this blight upon her mind for good.

"It seems our time is limited anyway. Let's see if you can kill me before she can kick your ass out."

I leapt at her, my blade flashing toward her head, and she lazily parried it whilst smirking at me, only to be surprised as she fell into my trap, and I planted a solid hit directly into her sternum, knocking the "air," out of her and sending her flying a few feet back.

She climbed to her feet, yellow eyes gleaming with molten hatred, and charged me with a yell.

At any other time, I would see her anger as a blessing, as anger made a fighter sloppy, thus exposing more of the holes in their stances and techniques. However…

This thing was a part of Saber, the Servant of the Sword. I could tell by watching that even enraged, this would be an enemy that I could never go complacent around, not without surrendering the right to wear my head on my shoulders.

I ducked a slash, parried another, then responded with a series of lightning fast cuts and slashes meant to force it onto the defensive.

However, the thing easily blocked my assault and turned the heat onto me, and I was hard-pressed to keep up with her overwhelming power.

I jumped back, panting from the exertion. She watched me retreat, that damnable smile still plastered across her face. I growled, wanting to utter just two syllables that would allow me to remove this stain from existence forever, but I knew that doing so would undoubtedly kill Rin.

"_**Is that all? Even handicapped, I am disappointed. You sure are confident for someone who has repeatedly shown that you have no prowess in battle."**_

The jab stung. She was right, in my recent battles, the only word to describe my performance would be 'disastrous.'

She began to advance toward me, shifting her grip on her blade in an offensive way. I readied myself to block, but a sudden yell from behind me surprised us both.

"_Lassen Sie meine geheiligten Geist, O Wesen des Schattens!_"

With an enraged roar, the shade dissolved into small pieces, and the crystallized area flashed once, and glowed slightly brighter.

I faced Rin, who was smiling smugly. "That should take care of her. I drew upon your presence to shield my mind from any further attack."

That took me by surprise. "That was resourceful. But… drew on my presence? How is that? We aren't a Master/Servant pair, there should be no presence of me aside from what I inserted here myself."

She shrugged. "Hell if I know." I blinked at the profanity from the small magus. "I just… felt something that resonated with me. I didn't know what it was until I felt that it was freezing cold. I just assumed it was you."

"Does that mean we have some sort of bond now?"

She shrugged again. "Only time will tell. Now get out of here, didn't you say something about killing me if you stayed too long?"

Oh. Right. That. Nodding at Rin, I retracted my presence from her, taking my reiatsu with me.

Before I returned to my body, however, a stray thought collided with me.

"_We're… connected now. Thank you… Shinigami."_

oOoOoOo

I opened my eyes, blinking a couple times as I realized that the moonlight shining in through the window had apparently long since changed to sunlight. Rin began to stir, and rather than invoke her wrath, I quickly moved to a better position.

That would have been awkward.

She stretched, then screwed her face up and made some sort of cute 'meeeeeew' sound before sitting up, rubbing one of her eyes. I watched as she ran a hand up and down her arm in an attempt to warm herself up.

"You weren't kidding about your reiatsu. I'm freezing." There was no real accusation in her voice, just a statement of the obvious.

"What color are your Command Seals?"

Looking a bit surprised at the question, she turned her gaze to her arm. "They're… a really dark red. Not the bright red they're supposed to be…"

I sighed, finally convinced that this little issue was, for the moment, over. "That's good. They were completely black when I initiated the technique."

She nodded, calming somewhat.

"Do you think this has something to do with Saber?"

I looked at her like she was an idiot. "There was a shade assuming her form in your mindscape."

A glare met my look. "That could have been coincidental. She IS my Servant, you know."

I scoffed. "If that was coincidental, I'll eat-"

"**GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!"**

The monstrous roar sounded from directly outside the old house, and I froze.

Berserker. Close, but… not close enough to be attacking.

I glanced at Rin. "Get out of here. I'll go see what's wrong and bring Saber back myself. I can't risk her going with you, unfortunately. There's no telling what she'd do if she went berserk with nobody there to restrain her."

Her face was hard. "No. We left you behind once already, I can't do that again and call myself your ally."

She ran a glance over my less-than-intact clothing and assumed a haughty tone. "Besides, you look like hell. You probably couldn't last even five minutes in a fight without my help."

I scowled, opening my mouth to reply, but I caught the look in her eyes. It said you just risked yourself for me. I'm repaying the favor.

I exhaled violently. "Fine. But if the fighting gets heavy, leave. I can't fight to my fullest when you guys are around."

A nod showed her assent, and we rushed out of the room, startling Shirou.

"Did you two hear that?! Is he coming for us?!"

I shook my head. "No, it sounded like a fight just started." I faced the restrained Saber, tempted to leave her there until I was ready to retreat.

"You are yourself?" She nodded once. "Will you stay that way?" No answer, but her uncertainty was showing plain on her face. I sighed. "I will release you, but know that if you turn on us and I cannot restrain you, I will kill you. I don't know what your new other half is, but benevolent it is not."

I waved my hand and the _Kyomon _shattered into pieces, as did _Rikujokoro._

"I'm doing this against my better judgment, Saber, but I can't have you here by yourself and getting captured or killed."

I looked at my allies. I read their fear, their determination, and their will to win all in one glance.

I smirked at them. "Let's go win this war."

oOoOoOo

The clearing where we fought the first time was almost unrecognizable. If a world-ending cataclysm had razed the small open area, I would not have been surprised.

There wasn't a spare inch of green to be seen. The ground had been mangled beyond all recognition, all that was left were craters, piles of dirt, mud, and what looked suspiciously like blood.

The trees had been obliterated, as no evidence of them ever being there was present.

In the middle of all the chaos was Berserker, kneeling before the shadow figure. Berserker's little Master was nowhere to be seen, but I assumed she was close.

Our little group was paid no mind, though. Instead, the shadow slid forward smoothly and completely enveloped Berserker. A sharp cry to our left alerted us to Ilyasviel's position.

My eyes were riveted on the spectacle in front of me. Slowly, painfully slowly, Berserker seemed to dissolve into the ground before our very eyes.

Soon, he was gone, and in his place was the shadow from before. It rotated slightly, perhaps facing us, then simply vanished.

My iron grip on Hyoshini's hilt never lessened. What I just witnessed… was wrong. It was disgusting.

Whatever the shadow did, Berserker had been devoured by it utterly. I felt myself begin to shake slightly. What was this? Was the thing absorbing Servants? Why was this happening?

Why?!

A hand on my shoulder shook me out of my thoughts and I faced Shirou, eyes wide. He was looking at me with a measure of concern. "Hey, are you okay? You're as white as a sheet."

"…Am I?" I raised a shaking hand, though I couldn't comprehend just why I was having this reaction.

But at the same time, I knew. This shadow terrified me. In all my years of existence, I have never met an enemy that I was not certain I could destroy.

This shadow is invincible. I can tell that much just by looking at it. Had it wanted to, it could have done the same to me and Saber regardless of our struggles.

A hard impact across my face brings me back to reality. Rin's burning eyes meet my own, and somehow I can feel her anger. "Snap out of it! We've got to get out of here, and you having a meltdown isn't helping us at all!"

As though her words were somehow magical, I regain myself. What was that just now? I have never felt despair such as that before. I frowned, then glanced at our group.

Shirou held a sobbing Ilyasviel in his arms. Saber and Rin stood there, the latter of the two still glaring at me.

"…Let's go home. Today has been too stupid…"

With those words, I turned and walked into the treeline. There was way too much information to process at the moment.

I sighed softly. Why can't anything be easy?

oOoOoOo

And that is that. I'm as happy as I'm going to be with it, I suppose.

Join me on Tumblr if you would like updates, reviews are always welcome, and all that generic author note goodness…

I need to sleep.

Until next time,

~Kapskaen


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